RF Plasma Engineer - Plasma Sources & Cathodes

RF Plasma Engineer - Build the Plasma Source Behind Next-Generation Space Propulsion

El Segundo, CA | On-site

Opportunity Summary

We are hiring an RF Plasma Engineer to design, build, and test a radio-frequency plasma source and develop it into a long-life electron source for our propulsion system. You will own the source from first plasma through flight qualification, and partner with our electrical engineers on the RF drive and control electronics.

This role suits a plasma physicist or engineer who has generated and controlled RF plasmas, whether in electric propulsion, fusion, or semiconductor and materials plasma processing, and who wants to see that work fly in space.

About Us

We are a seed-stage, venture-backed aerospace company in the Los Angeles area developing plasma propulsion that lets satellites stay in lower orbits for longer and maneuver far more freely than they can today. Our work is funded by venture investors and multiple Department of Defense and federal research contracts, and we are moving from lab prototypes toward our first flight hardware for national security and commercial customers.

Job Duties

• Design, build, and test an RF plasma source such as an inductively coupled or helicon source
• Tune the source for stable, efficient operation on reactive, non-traditional gases
• Develop the source into an electron-emitting cathode that maximizes extracted current and efficiency
• Characterize plasmas using Langmuir probes, optical emission spectroscopy, and RF diagnostics
• Design matching networks and partner with electrical engineering on RF power and control electronics
• Evaluate materials for erosion, contamination, and long-duration performance in reactive plasma environments
• Set up safe RF lab practices and test procedures
• Iterate quickly toward flight-qualified hardware

Qualifications

• Degree in physics or in electrical, aerospace, nuclear, or materials engineering, or a related field
• Hands-on experience designing, building, and testing RF plasma sources
• Strong foundation in plasma physics, including plasma wave physics
• Working knowledge of RF equipment and RF safety, including generators, matching networks, and impedance measurement
• Experience designing and building hardware, with flight hardware a strong plus
• Proficiency in Python
• Proficiency in SolidWorks
• U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance

Preferred Experience

• Experience with RF plasma thrusters or helicon sources
• Semiconductor plasma etch, deposition, or surface processing experience
• Materials science background, especially plasma-material interactions
• Hollow cathode or electron source experience
• Graduate research in plasma physics
• Vacuum system design and operation

Why Join Us

• Own a core propulsion component from first plasma to flight
• Apply plasma expertise to a new space application with direct mission impact
• Work with a founding team with deep electric propulsion expertise
• Meaningful early-stage equity
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k), and unlimited paid time off

Compensation Details

$120,000 - $175,000 + equity