_{06th May, 2026}

Lead - HTS Modelling R&D 
Equal Opportunity Statement: We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diversity strengthens our team and are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. 
  
Job details 
Location: Wellington, New Zealand 
Hours and place of work: Given the critical nature of this role and its impact on company culture, it must be undertaken primarily with the rest of the team, in office. 
Reports to: Chief Technology Officer 
Team: Magnet Technologies 
  
Who we are 
OpenStar Technologies is on a mission to repeat the feats of Māui 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. Our team is currently made up of 66 talented engineers and physicists, based in Wellington, New Zealand. 
  
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. 
   
About the role 
As Lead of HTS Superconductor Research & Modelling, you will be responsible for understanding, characterizing, and modelling the fundamental nonlinear electromagnetic properties of HTS materials that underpin OpenStar's magnet systems. From experimental tape characterization in cryogenic test facilities to multi-physics simulation of coil behaviour, you will bridge materials physics and magnet engineering, ensuring that models accurately capture the complex field-dependent, temperature-dependent, and time-dependent behaviour of REBCO superconductors. 
  
Key responsibilities 
  
Technical leadership & research strategy 

• Define and own the HTS modelling and R&D roadmap across all relevant subsystems: tape characterisation, coil winding geometry, quench propagation, thermal management, and structural mechanics under Lorentz loading. 
• Set modelling standards, and make binding technical decisions with appropriate rigour and documentation. 
• Ensure models are validated against experimental data and that uncertainty is quantified and communicated clearly to downstream engineering teams. 
• Own the technology selection strategy for HTS materials, including assessment of emerging tape technologies and supply chain resilience. 

HTS & magnet modelling 

• Lead experimental programs to characterize the electromagnetic properties of HTS tapes across relevant operating regimes.  
• Collaborate with external test facilities, national labs, and academic partners to access specialized capabilities (high-field backgrounds, pulsed currents, mechanical loading) and benchmark OpenStar's in-house measurement capabilities against international best practice. 

Electromagnetic modelling & multi-physics simulation 

• Develop, validate, and continuously improve multi-physics simulation frameworks for HTS coils 
• Model critical electromagnetic phenomena 
• Couple electromagnetic models with thermal and mechanical domains to capture feedback effects 
• Maintain familiarity with state-of-the-art HTS modelling tools and methods 

Coil design integration & prototype validation 

• Translate fundamental HTS material understanding into engineering design rules and operating envelopes for magnet systems. Collaborate closely with plasma physics, cryogenics, and mechanical teams to define field requirements, thermal budgets, and structural constraints, feeding modelling insights into machine design iterations. 
• Lead the design, fabrication, and testing of HTS coil prototypes that serve as validation vehicles for material models and engineering design principles. 
• Define and execute test programs for HTS coils.  
• Champion a predict-then-validate culture.  

Team leadership & mentoring 

• Recruit, onboard, and grow a multidisciplinary team spanning experimental physicists (cryogenic measurement, materials characterization), computational researchers (FEM modelling, multi-physics simulation), and prototype engineers (coil winding, instrumentation, test execution). 
• Mentor junior and mid-level researchers and engineers through design reviews, pair analysis, and structured feedback. Raise the capability of the whole team without creating bottlenecks. 
• Own resource planning and effort estimation for the HTS R&D workstream, flagging risks early and proposing mitigations. 

Cross-functional collaboration 

• Serve as the primary interface between the Magnet Technologies team and the physics, cryogenics, mechanical, and operations teams, translating requirements in both directions clearly and without ambiguity. 
• Represent the HTS R&D function in programme-level planning, ensuring modelling and prototype timelines are realistic and dependencies are visible. 
• Work with external suppliers, academic partners, and test facilities to leverage the best available capabilities and stay at the frontier of HTS technology. 

   
What we’re looking for 
  
Essential 

• PhD in applied superconductivity, condensed matter physics, magnet engineering, or closely related discipline, with demonstrated research depth in HTS materials or devices - or equivalent experience. 
• Deep understanding of the nonlinear electromagnetic behavior of HTS materials, including E-J power law characteristics, n-value dependencies, flux creep phenomena, and field-dependent resistivity in the transition region. 
• Expertise in critical current density field and angular dependence Jc(B,θ,T), including anisotropic behaviour of REBCO coated conductors under varying field orientations and temperatures. Ability to implement these relationships in computational models. 
• Demonstrable understanding of AC losses in HTS materials under time-varying currents and fields, with understanding of both hysteretic and dynamic loss mechanisms. Familiarity with at least one FEM-based multi-physics simulation environment (COMSOL, OPERA, GetDP, or equivalent) for implementing nonlinear material models. 
• Proven ability to bridge modelling and experiment: designing experiments to validate simulation predictions, using discrepancies to refine models, and iterating between theory and measurement to improve understanding. 
• Experience leading a technical team or research group—setting scientific direction, reviewing technical work, developing people, and fostering a collaborative research culture. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Able to write clear technical specifications, publish research results, and communicate complex physics to engineers, program managers, and executive stakeholders. 

   
Highly regarded 

• Experience in a fusion, large-scale accelerator magnet, or MRI/NMR magnet development programme. 
• Familiarity with REBCO or Bi-2212/Bi-2223 tape technologies and their application to high-field coil design. 
• Exposure to cryostat design, cryogenic instrumentation, or cryocooler-based test systems. 
• Experience with quench protection system design or simulation. 
• Track record of publishing or presenting research results in peer-reviewed venues or at major superconductivity conferences. 

   
Join us 
This opportunity boils down to the chance to work on something truly meaningful. The scariest thing about the climate crisis today is that, for all of our bluster and protest, there are very few of us who actually have a chance to do meaningful work solving this problem. Carbon-free energy is an absolute necessity if we want to be able to recognise the world that our children and grandchildren inherit. Please join us in making this a reality. 

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