Nuclear Fusion Engineer

About the role

You will engineer the systems that make fusion energy real at a fusion energy company, working on the magnets, blankets, or plasma-facing components of a machine chasing net energy gain. The team operates at the frontier of physics and engineering, where every design decision pushes beyond proven precedent. You will analyze, design, and test hardware that must survive conditions no commercial material has faced. This role matters because fusion is the ultimate clean energy prize, and your engineering moves the timeline from decades away to within reach. You will also design the diagnostic systems that measure plasma performance, because you cannot control what you cannot measure. Your test campaigns will be planned rigorously, extracting maximum learning from every precious shot of the machine. You will work with materials scientists on plasma-facing components that must survive heat fluxes beyond any commercial application. Your systems engineering discipline will bring order to the inherent chaos of first-of-a-kind development, keeping interfaces clean as designs evolve.

What you will achieve

• Deliver engineering designs for fusion subsystems meeting performance targets validated by analysis and testing.
• Complete magnet or blanket analyses demonstrating structural and thermal adequacy under full operating loads.
• Support integrated commissioning with hardware performing to predictions on first plasma campaigns.
• Reduce key subsystem cost or build time 20 percent through design optimization and manufacturing innovation.
• Publish or present technical results that advance the company's credibility with investors and partners.

What you will bring

Must-haves

• 2 to 5 years in fusion engineering, plasma physics applications, or high-energy-density physics roles.
• Strong fundamentals in plasma physics, electromagnetics, or high-temperature materials relevant to fusion.
• Experience with engineering analysis codes for thermal, structural, or electromagnetic design.
• Ability to design for extreme environments: high heat flux, neutron irradiation, and strong magnetic fields.
• Comfort working at the research-to-engineering boundary where requirements evolve with discoveries.
• Hands-on hardware experience: you have built, tested, or commissioned real systems.
• Resilience and creativity: fusion engineering fails often, and you learn fast from each failure.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with tokamak, stellarator, or inertial confinement concepts.
• Knowledge of tritium fuel cycle and breeding blanket technologies.
• Familiarity with superconducting magnet design and quench protection.
• Advanced degree in plasma physics, nuclear engineering, or applied physics.