Senior RF Test Engineer

Join the power movement as a Senior RF Test Engineer

SPARC sustains fusion reactions by feeding >25MW of 120MHz RF power into the tokamak to heat the plasma to 100 million Kelvin. We need an RF Test Engineer to play a pivotal role in validating and testing the electronics and control systems that power the most ambitious RF plant in the world.

At this level, you are a hands-on executor and technical problem solver. You will be directly responsible for taking newly architected RF and power electronics from the benchtop to full-scale operation. Your day-to-day will span board-level bring-up, operating high-power RF transmitters, and integrating hardware with software controls to ensure SPARC achieves net energy.

For more information on the SPARC RF plant, see the SPARC journal papers here:

• Overview of the SPARC tokamak
• Physics basis for the ICRF system of the SPARC tokamak

What you'll do:

• Execute Board-Level Bring-Up: Lead the initial power-on, debugging, and validation of custom printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), embedded digital controllers, and low-level electronics, focusing heavily on the integration of these boards into working modular solid-state RF systems
• Operate RF Transmitters & High Voltage Systems: Safely run and test high-power RF transmitters with a primary focus on validating and troubleshooting complex RF behaviors. You will also safely interface with, and occasionally troubleshoot, the supporting high-voltage infrastructure and large-scale supercapacitor banks
• Drive Hardware/Software Integration: Bridge the gap between physical electronics and control software, ensuring that measurement circuits, timing systems, and sensors interface seamlessly with SPARC’s central data collection and control networks
• Oversee FAT Fixturing & Operation: Design, assemble, and manage the fixturing for Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT). You will oversee the execution of these tests to validate that incoming hardware meets stringent performance and safety criteria
• Develop Procedures & Hand-Off: Translate complex engineering validation steps into clear, repeatable test procedures, ultimately training and handing off routine testing and steady-state operations to engineering technicians

What we’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• 7+ years of hands-on experience testing high-power RF systems, radar, particle accelerators, electric vehicles, or heavy industrial power electronics
• Proven hands-on experience safely working with high voltage components, energy storage (e.g., supercapacitors), and troubleshooting complex analog and digital circuits at the component level
• Exceptional skills in reading RF circuit designs (Altium or similar) and setting up automated test environments to validate sensitive timing and RF detection circuits within extreme high-power, high-noise environments (EMI/EMC mitigation)
• Proficiency in C++ and Python, with the ability to read code and thoroughly understand software deployments before testing them
• Proven intuition for high-power RF environments

Bonus points for:

• Experience designing test fixtures, writing comprehensive FAT protocols, and setting up automated data acquisition systems in high-noise environments, utilizing EMI/EMC mitigation techniques to ensure circuits operate reliably
• Hands-on experience measuring forward and reflected RF power, diagnosing RF arcs, and validating the timing and electronics designed to mitigate them
• Proven experience writing custom test software to automate lab equipment and validate system functionality
• A strong systems-level understanding of modern high-performance embedded digital controllers, high-speed communications, and fundamentals of mechanical/thermal design to safely execute tests and interface effectively with cross-functional teams

Must-have Requirements:

• Ability to lift up to 50lbs
• Perform activities such as stooping, climbing, standing, typing or sitting for extended periods of time
• Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally
• Work in a facility that contains industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics