Lead - Electronic & Avionics Systems

Own the full hardware lifecycle for OpenStar's electronic and avionic systems. Location: Ngauranga, Wellington, New Zealand Hours & place of work: Approx. 40 hours/week, worked flexibly between 7:00am and 8:00pm by agreement with your manager; on-site at OpenStar's Ngauranga facility given the integral nature of the work Reports to: Chief Technology Officer Team: Electronics and Avionic Systems 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. 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. About the Role As Lead of Electronic and Avionic Systems, you will own the full hardware lifecycle for OpenStar’s levitated dipole machine – from concept and schematic through to manufacture, verification, installation and operation. The dipole is a really cool superconducting magnet that flies inside a chamber that contains a hot plasma in the intense magnetic field it generates. You will set the technical direction for electronics across power, sensing, control, and diagnostics systems, while leading and building a team of electrical engineers. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role: you will be equally comfortable at a bench debugging a misbehaving power supply, mentoring and developing staff as well as presenting a design review to the executive team. Fusion energy is only achievable if the electronics that sense, control, and power the machine are reliable, precise, and safe. As the person responsible for all electronics systems, you sit at the intersection of physics, firmware, and mechanical engineering. Your decisions are integral to the continued success of the levitated dipole. Key Responsibilities Provide strategic advice and planning for future development and research agenda to meet company objectives Set direction for the electronic and avionic systems development to be in line with company priorities Represent hardware and firmware development and risks at project management and technical meetings from the requirements stage through development to delivery Optimise the use of external resources to deliver milestones rapidly Ensure external contractors and internal company expertise is utilised effectively Manage the various electronics projects and keep the project management tools up to date with the real world Work with plasma science, magnet engineering, cryogenics, and superconducting power supply teams to ensure the avionic and electronics systems are fit for purpose Manage compromises of cross‑team risk, including delivery timeline, integration timing, and budgets. Manage timelines by triaging work, including stopping/declining non‑critical work streams. Suggesting alternative solutions to embedded development where appropriate. Cross Team Collaboration Work with plasma science, magnet engineering, cryogenics, and superconducting power supply teams to ensure the avionic and electronics systems are fit for purpose Manage compromises of cross‑team risk, including delivery timeline, integration timing, and budgets. Manage timelines by triaging work, including stopping/declining non‑critical work streams. Suggesting alternative solutions to embedded development where appropriate. Team Growth and Mentorship Plan, and build, the electronics and avionics systems team as we grow into series A with support from the team Represent both the FTEs & responsibility required for effective use of the team expertise Mentor and provide professional development opportunities to engineers in all stages of career development Scope and assign work to engineers to extend them while keeping workloads realistic Present realistic timelines accounting for all work streams, including when working on a fast‑moving objective. Embedded System Design Develop power systems including battery packs and power amplifiers for novel superconducting loads Develop instrumentation systems, including cryogenics temperature sensing and µV level signal detection Ensure the embedded system can withstand the harsh vacuum and radiation environment Ensure all embedded systems work within the physical environment, liaising with company engineers as needed Maintain a stable production of small‑run electronics, utilising in house and external capabilities Lead effective design reviews which produce functional actions, and encourage participants to consider all aspects of design.[RB1] Ensure systems are designed safely and meet NZ legal requirements (EWRB work, etc)[ML2][ML3] Key Relationships Chief Technology Officer – Leads the engineering development, you will be responsible for representing the embedded system to the CTO Experiment Manager – Working on timelines, delivery risk, and staff availability to install and run systems Technical teams across Software, Plasma, Magnet Engineering, Superconducting Power Supplies, Cryogenics, and Docking External suppliers and contract manufacturers – Managing relationships to ensure quality, delivery, and cost targets are met What We’re Looking For – Essential Degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related discipline Excellent written and verbal communication. Able to write clear specifications and hold their own in cross‑functional design reviews.[PG4] 8+ years of hands‑on experience in embedded systems design, with demonstrable ownership of complex, safety‑relevant, or high‑reliability systems Expert‑level schematic and PCB design skills, including high‑speed digital, analogue signal conditioning, and power electronics Experience working in a highly multidisciplinary environment, with an understanding of developing requirements for complex multi‑domain systems Proven ability to debug embedded systems, including the integration of hardware and firmware, using appropriate tools. Experience leading a technical team: setting direction, reviewing designs, and developing engineers Highly Regarded Experience in a research, defence, aerospace, or other high‑reliability engineering environment Familiarity with at least one MCU family at the register level (e.g. STM32, NXP, TI), plus working knowledge of FPGA‑based designs.[PG5] Experience working with contract manufacturers for small batch design & production Experience with vacuum or radiation electronics 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr