_{17th July, 2025}

Only applicants who are eligible to work in New Zealand and meet our requirements will be considered for this position.

This position is available between November 2025 and January 2026. Interviews begin 1 August 2025. 
  
Equal Opportunity Statement - Applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply. OpenStar Technologies is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where innovation thrives.

Who are we?
OpenStar Technologies is on a mission to repeat the feats of Maui and capture the power of the Sun. By mastering fusion, the process that powers the stars, we can generate safe, clean, carbon free, base load electricity in a way that is economically scalable to the challenge of mitigating climate disaster and giving birth to the next industrial revolution. The team is currently made up of 60 talented engineers and physicists, based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), Aotearoa.

Culture comment:
At OpenStar Technologies, our culture is founded on a commitment to making a positive impact on the world. We empower every member of our team with meaningful responsibility, fostering an environment where creativity and innovation thrive in pursuit of our collective mission.

Job Description
The successful candidate will join OpenStar’s magnet team to focus on improving coil joint quality in high-performance superconducting magnets. The primary goal of this internship is to investigate and reduce both interconnect and inner-coil joint resistances through hardware development, experimental validation, and literature-guided process improvement. 

This role involves mechanical design, materials testing, and hands-on experimental work with both small-scale test coils and resistive joint prototypes. The intern will contribute to building repeatable and validated joint processes, including applying and evaluating indium-pressed joints, and estimating the performance impact on future magnet systems.


Responsibilities

• Design and Fabrication Preparation  Design winding hardware and resistivity testing rigs. Prepare and send designs for manufacture and delivery. 
• Experimental Testing and Evaluation  Prepare joint and coil test samples, run controlled resistance measurements, modify and iterate testing hardware as needed. 
• Small-Scale Coil Prototyping  Wind and improve small test coils to evaluate mechanical and electrical performance of new jointing techniques. 
• Literature Review  Conduct targeted reviews on low-resistance joint formation (particularly for indium-based joints) within superconducting or low-temperature systems. 
• Performance Estimation  Use test results to estimate the performance of a magnet similar in scale to OpenStar’s current "Junior" magnet, and benchmark against existing performance data. 

  
Requirements

Must have – The applicant has a materials background within a Mechatronics or Mechanical Engineering degree (third or fourth year undergraduate). 

• Experience with laboratory instrumentation and mechanical design. 
• Strong skills in test planning, data collection, and result analysis. 
• Practical knowledge of R&D process implementation and test engineering. 

Nice to have – 

• Experience with computational modelling, cryogenic systems, or material science. 
• Background in metallurgy or coil winding techniques. 

Internship Details

• Type: Fixed-term (400 hours)
• Rate: $28.95/hour gross
• Additional Compensation:
• 8% holiday pay (pay-as-you-go)
• 3% employer KiwiSaver contribution
• Location: On-site at OpenStar Technologies, Ngauranga, Wellington, NZ

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