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Commonwealth Fusion Systems is seeking a Staff Scientist - Plasma Material Interaction to support the design, commissioning, and operation of the SPARC tokamak and ARC fusion power plant. SPARC is designed to be the first magnetic confinement device to achieve net energy with predicted Q=11 in deuterium-tritium, producing up to 140 MW of fusion power.
In this role, you will build computational workflows to predict plasma-facing component (PFC) material degradation under plasma loading and neutron irradiation conditions. You will support the ARC design team by running predictive models to inform PFC material lifetime estimates, component shaping, and consequences of overloading. You will conduct experimental tests of candidate ARC materials at test facilities worldwide, including plasma-material interaction (PMI), heat load, and neutron irradiation studies. You will leverage SPARC experimental data to benchmark predictive models used for ARC design and optimization, and develop interpretive models to infer PFC material state from power plant-relevant diagnostics.
You will serve as a bridge between the Plasma Physics, Materials Science, and Nuclear Engineering departments at CFS. You will manage collaborations with universities, national laboratories, and private companies globally, and present scientific results at technical conferences and in peer-reviewed publications.
This is a high-impact role at the intersection of plasma physics, materials science, and nuclear engineering, working on one of the world's most advanced fusion projects.
Requirements:
- PhD or equivalent in plasma physics, materials science, nuclear engineering, or related field, with demonstrated research in plasma material interactions
- Working knowledge of plasma material interactions within magnetically confined plasmas (heat and particle loads, sputtering and erosion, dust formation, PMI diagnostics)
- Working knowledge of multiscale material evolution under plasma and/or neutron loading (PKA and displacement damage, defect and gas-bubble kinetics, transmutation effects, microstructural evolution, surface morphology, thermomechanical property degradation)
- Experience with at least two of: ion energy angle distribution calculations (hPIC or equivalent), binary collision approximation (RustBCA, SDTrimSP, F-TRIDYN), cluster dynamics or rate theory (Xolotl or equivalent), finite element analysis (ANSYS, MOOSE, COMSOL)
- Experience designing and executing test campaigns at plasma-material exposure devices (Magnum-PSI, MPEX) and/or high heat flux facilities (GLADIS, HADES)
- Experience with Python, C++, or similar programming languages
- Version control with git or equivalent
- HPC experience using Slurm, AWS, or equivalent
- Excellent writing and technical communication skills
- Ability to perform extended activities such as typing, standing, sitting
- Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally
- Ability to work in a facility with industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics
Bonus qualifications: PMI-specific codes (ERO2.0, WallDYN, FESTIM, HEAT), boundary plasma physics and edge/neutral transport codes (SOLPS-ITER, EMC3-EIRENE), neutron or ion-beam irradiation campaigns and post-irradiation examination experience, materials characterization techniques (thermal desorption spectroscopy, SEM/TEM), knowledge of irradiation damage metrics and fusion neutron spectrum, tungsten metallurgy and joining, degradation and failure mechanisms in tungsten, ability to build and maintain coupled multi-code computational workflows, code containerization experience (Docker, Apptainer).
