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Proxima Fusion, Europe's fastest-growing and best-funded fusion company, is seeking a Lead R&D Engineer to own the development of the tritium-breeding blanket for the Stellaris fusion power plant. This is a high-impact role where you will shape the architecture of the world's first commercial stellarator fusion power plant and solve some of the most complex engineering challenges in the industry.
You will build and lead Proxima Fusion's blanket development from initial concept through first prototype tests, translating a defined R&D budget into parallel breeder-blanket concepts developed rapidly with external research and industrial partners. Remote maintainability is fundamental to the blanket architecture from day one—each concept must integrate with the overall power plant architecture and demonstrate how blanket modules can be installed, connected, inspected, replaced, and recovered remotely.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own the blanket design from initial requirements through conceptual design, prototype manufacture, and testing, with accountability for budget, schedule, and technical outcomes.
- Own the integrated remote-maintenance architecture for each concept, including segmentation, access, handling, service connections, inspection, replacement, and recovery from failed operations.
- Own compliance analysis across neutronics, thermal hydraulics, structural integrity, materials, tritium, decommissioning, safety, and remote maintenance.
- Own the rapid fail-fast prototype: select what to test and lead its design, procurement, manufacture, instrumentation, commissioning, and test campaign on ambitious timelines.
- Translate test results into updated models, requirements, risk assessments, and design decisions.
- Build and lead the multidisciplinary technical design team.
You will work across tightly coupled disciplines (plasma physics, magnets, cryogenics, manufacturing, controls) to resolve critical trade-offs and turn cutting-edge science into functioning hardware. The role combines advanced simulation and systems thinking with a pragmatic, fast-moving execution mindset.
Proxima Fusion is backed by over €650M in funding and operates across Munich, Zurich, and Oxford with a growing team of accomplished, driven individuals from around the world.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Master's degree or higher in mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, materials science, chemical engineering, physics, or equivalent experience.
- Demonstrated leadership in developing complex nuclear, thermal, chemical, or energy technology from conceptual design into hardware and testing, delivered under budget and time constraints.
- Ability to lead multidisciplinary trade studies without converging prematurely on a preferred solution.
- Strong knowledge in several relevant domains: thermal hydraulics, structural mechanics, neutronics, nuclear materials, tritium systems, high-temperature coolants, corrosion, manufacturing, or remote handling.
- Ability to distinguish between analysis that enables a decision and analysis that merely adds detail.
- Comfortable structuring and managing technical work with external institutes, industrial partners, and specialist suppliers.
- Willingness to test critical assumptions early, learn from failure, and stop weak development paths.
- Ability to make clear and defensible engineering decisions under uncertainty.
- Experience with fusion blankets, fission-reactor components, breeder materials, tritium systems, or remotely maintained nuclear equipment is advantageous but explicitly not required.
