Careers

READY FOR SOMETHING NEW?

Starfire Industries hires energetic people from a variety of backgrounds with interest in nuclear engineering, plasma systems, electrical engineering, vacuum science, materials science, semiconductor fabrication, computer modeling, mechanical engineering and component fabrication.

As a small company, Starfire gives the opportunity to every team member to have an influence and work in a dynamic environment on a selection of projects in different stages of development.

Interested? Click here.

IMMEDIATE OPENINGS:

Plasma Engineer - Ion Sources
Starfire Industries, LLC is adding to our technical team to support both applied R&D and production activities. We seek a person familiar with RF/microwave plasmas to support ion source design, fabrication, diagnostic testing, characterization, and data analysis perspective. Building on your fundamental knowledge in RF/microwave plasmas, magnetic circuits, high-voltage and E-M power transmission, we will provide job-specific training unique to using our products and technologies. You enjoy being part of a “hands-on” scientific team.
This position is eligible to earn an “on-the-job” Masters of Engineering (M.Eng.) Degree through a professional program between Starfire and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Plasma Engineering or Electrical Engineering. If eligible and meeting requirements, Starfire will reimburse tuition costs for the M.Eng. while working 75% full time over a two-year period. The M.Eng. capstone project will be directly relevant to work at Starfire.
Job Summary:
Responsible for developing, characterizing, optimizing and maintaining energetic ion sources for nGen® and Centurion® particle accelerators, setup test fixtures and RF/microwave powertrain and antenna launcher optimization, operating systems under representative environments, and performing simulations and data analysis for both production and R&D customers.
Primary Responsibilities:

Apply plasma engineering experience for ion source test fixture design, diagnostics and experimental setup.
Contribute as part of the particle accelerator production team with integration, assembly, testing and validation of hardware with relevant detectors and imaging media.
Assist systems and R&D engineers meeting milestones and deliverables for customers.
Communicate consistently and openly with engineers, technicians, and managers.
Actively pursue effective collaboration with other team members.

Required Qualifications:

Relevant Baccalaureate or Masters degree with relevant experience:
- e.g., Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological or Electrical & Computer Engineering
Strong desire to learn and appreciates hands-on work.
Detailed understanding on theory and mechanics of partially magnetized plasma systems
Basic experience with plasma diagnostics

Desired

Experience with ECR and helicon plasma sources
Experience IGUN or other plasma-beam emission simulation code for phase space calculation
Detailed data acquisition experience with beam emittance, atomic fraction and optical emission spectroscopy.
Interpret mechanical drawings and electrical schematics with ease.
Comfortable with microelectronics, PBC layout and testing
Ability to take initiative and work independently.
Minimum 3+ years’ work experiences

Salary commensurate with experience. Immediate start date. To apply, send resume and cover letter to hr@starfireindustries.com. This position is restricted to U.S. Persons only.

Electrical Engineer - Switched-Mode Pulsed Power Microelectronics
Starfire Industries, LLC is adding to our technical team to support applied R&D and production activities. We seek a person with experience with high-voltage SiC power electronics, >kHz passive component selection, and circuit design using Altium/KiCAD to apply knowledge company-wide. Building on your base skill set in design, layout, fabrication, test and measurement, we will provide job-specific training unique to our products and technologies. You will enjoy “hands-on” work and being part of an applied engineering team.
This position is eligible to earn an “on-the-job” Masters of Engineering (M.Eng.) Degree through a professional program between Starfire and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Electrical Engineering. If eligible and meeting requirements, Starfire will reimburse tuition costs for the M.Eng. while working 75% full time over a two-year period. The M.Eng. capstone project will be directly relevant to work at Starfire.
Job Summary:
Responsible for component selection, circuit layout, assembly, testing, debugging, and validation for high-voltage switching subsystems working closely with R&D for system-level prototype integration. Primary role is supporting IMPULSE® product development and its associated systems. Support production teams as needed.
Primary Responsibilities:

Develop HV SiC power electronics subsystems from conceptual design through electronics test/debug into prototype and production assembly deliverables.
Support overall system design, simulation, and testing with the R&D team.
Communicate consistently and openly with engineers, technicians, and managers.

Required Qualifications:

Relevant Electrical Engineering or Microelectronics degree
Strong desire to learn and appreciates hands-on (re)work.
Proficient with high-voltage test equipment, electrical schematics, and mechanical drawings and use of Altium or KiCAD
Experience with high-power SiC electronics, LCR design, noise immunity and simulations through LT SPICE (or equivalent)
Ability to take initiative, assume responsibility and work independently.

Desired

Minimum 3+ years’ work experiences
CNC mill, PCB layout, proven ability to multitask (e.g., handle projects in both R&D prototyping environment and production facility)
Experience with >MW-class pulsed power and circuit design constraints.
Analog/digital communications and controls
High-voltage design experience (>2.5kVdc)

Salary commensurate with experience. Immediate start date. To apply, send resume and cover letter to hr@starfireindustries.com. This position is restricted to U.S. Persons only.

Electrical Engineer – Microwave/RF Power Electronics
Starfire Industries, LLC is adding to our technical team to support applied R&D and production activities. We seek a person with RF/microwave power electronics and electrical hardware systems experience eager to apply knowledge company-wide. Building on your base skill set with solid-state LDMOS/GaN or tube amplifiers and electronics aptitude building RF drivetrains, we will provide job-specific training unique to our products and technologies. You will enjoy “hands-on” work and being part of an applied science team.
This position is eligible to earn an “on-the-job” Masters of Engineering (M.Eng.) Degree through a professional program between Starfire and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Electrical Engineering. If eligible and meeting requirements, Starfire will reimburse tuition costs for the M.Eng. while working 75% full time over a two-year period. The M.Eng. capstone project will be directly relevant to work at Starfire.
Job Summary:
Responsible for component selection, circuit layout, assembly, testing, debugging, and validation for RF/MW subsystems working closely with R&D for system-level prototype integration. Primary role Centurion® and support for nGen® and RADION™ product lines. Support production teams as needed.
Primary Responsibilities:

Develop RF/MW power electronics subsystems from conceptual design through electronics test/debug into prototype and production assembly deliverables.
Support RF/MW electromagnetics design, simulation, and testing for R&D teams.
Communicate consistently and openly with engineers, technicians, and managers.

Required Qualifications:

Relevant Electrical Engineering or Microelectronics degree
Strong desire to learn and appreciates hands-on (re)work.
Proficient with RF/MW test equipment, electrical schematics, and mechanical drawings
Experience with solid-state and electron-tube power amplifiers and circuit design
Ability to take initiative, assume responsibility and work independently.

Desired

Minimum 3+ years’ work experiences
CNC mill, PCB layout, proven ability to multitask (e.g., handle projects in both R&D prototyping environment and production facility)
RF/microwave circuit, cavity and antenna design experience and/or 3D electromagnetic simulation experience using Sonnet, COMSOL, CST Microwave Studio or Ansys HFSS
Experience with high-power staged GaN or LDMOS solid-state, or high-power tube amplifiers
Analog/digital communications and controls
High-voltage design experience (>1kVdc)

Perform component fabrication, assembly, integration, and hardware testing.
Apply electronics test/debug experience to prototype and production assemblies.
Assist systems and R&D engineers meeting milestones and deliverables.
Communicate consistently and openly with engineers, technicians, and managers.
Actively pursue effective collaboration with other team members.

Required Qualifications:

Relevant associate or baccalaureate degree or equivalent experience:
- e.g. electrical technician, auto technician, machinist, air conditioning technician
Strong desire to learn and appreciates hands-on work
Capability to read electrical schematics and mechanical drawings
Minimum 3+ years’ work experiences

Desired

Experience in one or more of the following:
- Electronics repair/rework
- Radio frequency electronics
- Machining
Familiarity with Solidworks and Mechanical Design
Ability to take initiative and work independently

 Salary commensurate with experience. Immediate start date. To apply, send resume and cover letter to hr@starfireindustries.com. This position is restricted to U.S. Persons only.

Material Scientist / Thin-Film Engineer
Starfire Industries, LLC is adding to our technical team to support R&D activities and customer engagement. We seek a person familiar with plasma deposition processes, thin-film materials, and microanalysis experience. Building on your base materials knowledge and vacuum processing skill set, we will provide job-specific training unique to our products and technologies. You will enjoy “hands-on” work and being part of scientific team.
This position is eligible to earn an “on-the-job” Masters of Engineering (M.Eng.) Degree through a professional program between Starfire and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Plasma Engineering or Electrical Engineering. If eligible and meeting requirements, Starfire will reimburse tuition costs for the M.Eng. while working 75% full time over a two-year period. The M.Eng. capstone project will be directly relevant to work at Starfire.
Job Summary:
Planning thin-film coating and surface modifications using IMPULSE® or RADION™, constructing test fixtures, performing etching and depositions, analyzing material properties, conducting SEM/microanalysis, and presenting data to the R&D team and customers.
Primary Responsibilities:

Execute thin-film materials campaigns from design, setup, plasma processing and test.
Perform materials characterization and data analysis for customer deliverables.
Communicate consistently and openly with engineers, technicians and managers.
Actively pursue effective collaboration with R&D team members.

Required Qualifications:

Relevant Baccalaureate Degree with suitable concentration or experience
- e.g., Material Science, Aerospace, Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological or Electrical & Computer Engineering
Strong desire to learn and appreciates hands-on work.
Capability to operate vacuum and/or atmospheric plasma processing equipment.

Desired

Experience in one or more of the following:
- Microanalysis: SEM, EDS, EBSD, XRF, XRD, AFM
- Corrosion and wear analysis
Familiarity with nuclear/ aerospace-relevant materials
Ability to take initiative and work independently
Minimum 3+ years’ work experiences

Salary commensurate with experience. Immediate start date. To apply, send resume and cover letter to hr@starfireindustries.com. This position is restricted to U.S. Persons only.

Nuclear Engineer – Neutron & Gamma
Starfire Industries, LLC is adding to our technical team to support both R&D and production activities. We seek a person familiar with neutron and gamma radiation interaction with matter from a hardware, software, and data analysis perspective for both spectroscopy and imaging applications. Building on your base nuclear radiation skill set and detection electronics aptitude, we will provide job-specific training unique to using our products and technologies. You enjoy being part of a “hands-on” scientific team.
This position might be eligible to earn an “on-the-job” Masters of Science (M.S.) Degree through a customized program between Starfire and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering. If eligible and meeting requirements, Starfire will reimburse tuition costs for the M.S. while working 75% full time over a two-year period. The M.S. thesis project will be directly relevant to work at Starfire and coordinated with the NPRE department.
Job Summary:
Responsible designing, fabricating, integrating and testing detection and data acquisition hardware for nGen® and Centurion® particle accelerators. The position involves working closely with radiation safety, setting up radiation shielding, operating systems under representative environments, conducting field campaign at customer sites, and performing simulations and data analysis for both production and R&D.
Primary Responsibilities:

Contribute as part of the particle accelerator production team with integration, assembly, testing and validation of hardware with relevant detectors and imaging media.
Apply nuclear engineering experience for text fixture design and experimental setup.
Assist systems and R&D engineers meeting milestones and deliverables for customers.
Communicate consistently and openly with engineers, technicians, and managers.
Actively pursue effective collaboration with other team members.

Required Qualifications:

Relevant Baccalaureate degree with relevant experience:
- e.g., Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological or Electrical & Computer Engineering
Strong desire to learn and appreciates hands-on work.
Experience in one or more of the following:
- MCNP code for radiation transport simulations
- Scintillators, photomultipliers, signal processing, multichannel acquisition

Desired

High-speed electronics, pulse wavelet analysis, microelectronics experience
Experience with gamma-ray spectroscopy, element identification
Fluency with script languages, large data set manipulation
Interpret mechanical drawings and electrical schematics with ease.
Ability to take initiative and work independently.
Minimum 3+ years’ work experiences

Salary commensurate with experience. Immediate start date. To apply, send resume and cover letter to hr@starfireindustries.com. This position is restricted to U.S. Persons only.

Internship/Co-Op – Particle Accelerators
Starfire Industries, LLC is located proximal to the University of Illinois and we offer a hybrid internship/co-op opportunity where students work full-time summer and part-time in fall/spring semesters over a 1+ year extended period. This allows interns to embed with our R&D and production teams to gain real hands-on experience, work directly with Ph.D. scientists and engineers, and contribute in multiple areas. This hybrid internship/co-op program is a successful pipeline for full-time employment (with us or others), publications and graduate school opportunities. Successful candidates are comfortable working with their hands, can read electrical schematics/mechanical drawings and are comfortable being part of a scientific team. We will provide job-specific training unique to our products and technologies.
Job Summary:
Embed with a member of the nGen® and Centurion® particle accelerator team to assist with designing circuits, populating boards, building accelerator components, assembling subsystems, constructing test fixtures, evaluating controls, testing hardware, analyzing diagnostic data, and learning how accelerators work and are used in industry. Full-time (hourly) employment during Summer and an expected 10-15 hours per week during Fall and Spring semesters with responsibly flexible hours to accommodate class schedules.
Primary Responsibilities:

Assist R&D/system engineers on nGen® and Centurion® particle accelerators from component fabrication, assembly, integration, hardware testing, and debugging.
Run experiment campaigns, acquire data, post-process, and present findings.
Communicate consistently and pursue effective collaboration with other team members.

Required Qualifications:

Relevant Baccalaureate degree in process (2nd or 3rd year equivalent):
Strong desire to learn and appreciates hands-on work
Capability to read electrical schematics and mechanical drawings
Ability to take initiative and work independently

Internship hourly rate.  Immediate start date. To apply, send resume and cover letter to hr@starfireindustries.com.  This position is restricted to U.S. Persons only.

Internship/Co-Op – Plasma Processing
Starfire Industries, LLC is located proximal to the University of Illinois and we offer a hybrid internship/co-op opportunity where students work full-time summer and part-time in fall/spring semesters over a 1+ year extended period. This allows interns to embed with our R&D and production teams to gain real hands-on experience, work directly with Ph.D. scientists and engineers, and contribute in multiple areas. This hybrid internship/co-op program is a successful pipeline for full-time employment (with us or others), publications and graduate school opportunities.  Successful candidates are comfortable working with their hands, can read electrical schematics/mechanical drawings and are comfortable being part of a scientific team. We will provide job-specific training unique to our products and technologies.
Job Summary:
Embed with a member of the IMPULSE® and RADION™ material surface modification team to assist with vacuum or atmospheric hardware setup, constructing test fixtures, performing etching and depositions, logging process data, analyzing material coupon properties, presenting data, and learning how thin-film deposition is used in industry.  Full-time (hourly) employment during Summer and an expected 10-15 hours per week during Fall and Spring semesters with responsibly flexible hours to accommodate class schedules.
Primary Responsibilities:

Assist R&D/system engineers on IMPULSE® and RADION™ plasma component fabrication, assembly, system integration, hardware testing, controls, and debugging.
Run experiment campaigns, acquire data, post-process, and present findings.

Communicate consistently and pursue effective collaboration with other team members.

Required Qualifications:

Relevant Baccalaureate degree in process (2nd or 3rd year equivalent):

Strong desire to learn and appreciates hands-on work
Capability to read electrical schematics and mechanical drawings
Ability to take initiative and work independently

Internship hourly rate. Immediate start date. To apply, send resume and cover letter to hr@starfireindustries.com. This position is restricted to U.S. Persons only.

FUTURE POSITIONS
Applicants must be eligible to obtain security clearance (requires U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Resident status).
At the present time, we are not hiring for these positions. We will have openings in the future; please feel free to peruse the positions below, for potential openings.