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Commonwealth Fusion Systems is seeking a Staff Fuel Cycle & Blanket Test Engineer to join the Fuel Cycle and Blanket Development Team at their Devens, MA facility. This role focuses on advancing molten salt (FLiBe) systems for fusion energy applications, addressing the technical challenges of high-temperature operation, corrosion management, and chemistry control.
You will drive the design and delivery of molten salt process equipment including ASME tanks, heat exchangers, piping systems, and gas processing equipment. This is a hands-on technical role that bridges R&D and pilot-scale operations, requiring collaboration with internal CFS teams and external partners to meet ambitious technical targets for the ARC fusion project.
Key responsibilities include:
- Developing commissioning and test plans for tritium and blanket program test stands
- Designing and building physical and documentation infrastructure to enable scaling of research and production workflows
- Supporting day-to-day facility operations including safety, cleanliness, procurement, and equipment maintenance
- Providing peer review of procedures, reports, plans, and foundational documents
- Leading and designing expanding lab facilities within a team context
- Building expertise within a growing team through contributions to training programs, workflows, and best practices
- Operating and maintaining gas handling and molten salt facility systems and laboratory equipment
- Contributing to integrated system commissioning and developing expertise in hazardous material facility operations
- Authoring, revising, and contributing to operations procedures
- Documenting facility learnings and contributing to continuous improvement culture
This role requires strong technical depth in process equipment design, rigorous R&D execution, and the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, fast-paced environment. You will be expected to carry engineering risk appropriately while actively managing safety risk.
REQUIREMENTS:
- MS in Engineering (chemical, materials, micro-nano engineering, mechanical engineering with heat/mass transport focus), physics, chemistry, or related field, with 10 years of experience
- Experience building and executing testing in an R&D setting
- Experience working collaboratively in a laboratory setting with technicians and senior scientists
- Experience with rigorous data management including programming to generate reports
- Experience writing clear lab reports and similar documentation
- Ability to generate formal presentations and succinctly summarize findings for diverse audiences
- Attention to detail, safety, and organization to execute controlled tests
- Experience with data analysis using programming tools such as Python
- Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists, and technical staff
- Ability to clearly express and critique ideas
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Independent problem-solving ability and creativity in approaching new problems
- Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs
- Ability to perform activities such as typing, standing, or sitting for extended periods
- Willingness to occasionally travel to suppliers and support commissioning/test activities
- Dedication to safety and ability to work with industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics
BONUS QUALIFICATIONS:
- 10+ years work experience in production or laboratory setting
- Experience working with high purity, rare, or tritium gases
- Experience working with molten salts or corrosive fluids
- Glovebox operations and PPE use for hazardous material handling
- Experience with analytical equipment and building high vacuum systems
- Confluence and JIRA tools
- Experience with process plant systems and ability to read technical documentation
