Computational Physicist

Overview

Proxima Fusion is Europe’s fastest-growing fusion company and the first spin-out from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, developing the world’s first commercial stellarator fusion power plant across two next-generation machines, Alpha and Stellaris. This Computational Physicist will build, validate, and extend state-of-the-art numerical models characterising fusion plasma behaviour — a hands-on, tool-building role rather than one primarily running existing codes and workflows, using modern software engineering practices including LLM-assisted development while retaining full ownership of scientific correctness.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and extend workflows that characterise plasma performance
• Write high-performance scientific code, spanning lightweight integrated models and high-fidelity HPC simulations
• Apply modern development tools and workflows, including LLM-based assistants, to improve development velocity, code readability, and testing coverage
• Communicate results and collaborate with integrated modellers and engineers to ensure stellarator designs meet plasma confinement and control requirements
• Validate and benchmark models against theory and experimental data where relevant

Requirements

Essential: PhD or Master’s in physics, mathematics, or computational physics; proven experience building numerical tools from first principles, from governing equations through numerical formulation, implementation, and validated simulation results; proficiency in Python, Julia, C++, or Fortran; comfort using LLM-based development tools with a clear understanding of their limitations and failure modes; proficiency in modern software development workflows and HPC; proactive in framing problems and proposing/interrogating solutions; motivated to work with a diverse team of physicists, numerical modellers, and engineers.

Desirable: Not specified in the source listing.