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Commonwealth Fusion Systems is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the design and development of the Remote Maintenance System for ARC, the world's first commercial fusion power plant. This role is central to CFS's mission to deliver reliable, clean fusion energy to the grid.
You will develop the concept of operations for ARC's Remote Maintenance System, designing radiation-hardened remote handling equipment (RHE) that integrates existing robotic technologies, custom hardware, and remotely operated heavy lift equipment. Key responsibilities include:
- Develop the maintenance scheme and concept of operations for the ARC Remote Maintenance System
- Design radiation-hardened remote handling equipment incorporating robotics and custom hardware
- Perform maintenance assessments of the tokamak and plant to ensure remote maintainability
- Collaborate with tokamak engineering teams to design the ARC tokamak for remote maintainability and develop novel solutions for tokamak joints
- Conduct high-level multi-disciplinary trade studies balancing physics, neutronics, design, maintenance, materials, manufacturing, and techno-economics
- Manage cross-disciplinary projects and collaborate across multiple teams to solve complex problems
- Identify and establish R&D plans for the remote maintenance program, working with internal teams and external partners
- Research and assess existing and cutting-edge remote handling solutions for ARC application
- Establish CFS's remote maintenance design guidelines for RHE, tokamak, and plant systems
- Work with external RHE/robotics organizations to manage contracted work and transfer expertise into CFS
This is a pre-conceptual design phase role requiring navigation of complex multi-disciplinary problems involving physics, neutronics, thermo-fluids, structures, manufacturing, assembly, and techno-economics. You will also lead proactive R&D in novel remote maintenance technologies.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Structural, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering
- Minimum 7 years of mechanical engineering experience in design, fabrication, testing, operations, integration, and commissioning of complex mechanical structures (fusion, fission, aerospace, marine, or similar)
- Minimum 7 years of technical experience designing remote handling equipment (RHE) using robotics or remotely operated precision mechanical structures (remote welding/cutting, manipulation, alignment, rescue, inspections)
- Experience leading R&D campaigns of novel technology to increase TRL and unlock new design solutions in remote maintenance fields (remote welding/cutting, inspections, bolting, manipulation, alignment, sensing, mechatronics, rad-hard, cleanliness)
- Experience with standard actuation, guidance mechanisms, sensing, and structural mechanisms
- Proficiency in structural analysis via hand calculations and finite element analysis (ANSYS preferred)
- Familiarity with CAD (NX preferred)
- Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists, technical staff, and executives
- Ability to clearly express and critique ideas
- Safety-conscious mindset
- Ability to perform activities such as typing and sitting for extended periods
- Dedication to safety to mitigate industrial hazards (heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, cryogenics)
- Willingness to travel (up to 15% expected) and work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally
BONUS QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's degree in Structural, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering
- Experience in conceptual design of complex systems involving high-level multi-disciplinary trade studies (tokamak, fission core, sub-sea hardware, aerospace)
- Experience with radiation-hardened equipment implementation in RHE design
- Mechatronics or applied robotics experience
- Rescue or decommissioning RHE experience
- Site layout design of remotely operated facilities
- Activated waste handling experience
- Remote cleanliness methods for UHV environments
- Industrial maintenance facility layout experience
- Familiarity with sensing, high power, controls, and fluid systems
- Ultra-high vacuum processes knowledge
- Fault tree analysis or fault management experience for complex integrated systems
- Fabrication methods knowledge (welding, machining)
- Engineering materials knowledge (metals, composites)
- Self-driven and autonomous work style
- Data-driven decision making
- End-to-end process experience with emphasis on creativity and simplicity
- Ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments
