Materials Test Engineer

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy.

CFS collaborates with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with groundbreaking new high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. Our mission is to deploy these power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. To that end, CFS has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution. Supported by the world’s leading investors, CFS is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change. To implement this plan, we are looking to add dedicated people to the team who treat people well, improve our work by adding multifaceted perspectives and new ways of solving problems, have achieved outstanding results through a range of pursuits, and have skills and experience related to this role.

The Materials Team at CFS is looking for a test engineer to support the ongoing design, engineering, and delivery of the SPARC net energy tokamak being built in Devens, MA. Fusion energy systems require high performance materials in extreme environments. The material properties and failure modes must be tested in similar extremes to validate they will be able to meet the strict requirements. The materials test engineer will interface with multiple stakeholders across CFS including engineering, supply chain, component designers, and more. We are seeking an engineer with strong materials science and mechanical engineering fundamentals. Experience with design of experiments and ability and interest in learning are desired. Knowledge or desire to learn about the properties and performance of materials at cryogenic temperatures is preferred.

This team member will:

- Test and qualify materials and components for structural and functional applications within SPARC and ARC
- Translate performance requirements into material property specifications and defining appropriate test methods
- Ensure efficient and timely transfer of property data and new insight to engineering design teams
- Provide technical guidance to project team members to ensure efficient execution of design-build-test-learn cycles and retirement of technical risks
- Work closely with other CFS teams including:
- o Safety team to manage chemical/mechanical/environmental hazards in existing and New experimental facilities
- o Adjacent R&D teams to optimally share pooled resources including equipment and personnel
- o Supply chain team to procure new equipment and materials
- o Manufacturing team to ensure fabrication methods are scalable

The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of these requirements:

- BS in Mechanical Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering or related field
- Testing or measuring material properties
- Understanding and experience testing at various environments include extreme temperature and high vacuum applications
- Design of experiments
- Data analysis, interpretation, and visualization
- Familiar with materials mechanical testing concepts including: Stress, Strain, Yield, Fracture Toughness, Bending Moment, Hardness etc.
- Familiar with a variety of materials and process engineering disciplines including metals, composites, adhesives, failure analysis, and manufacturing operations
- Participate in and promote CFS’ safety procedures and policies
- Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, technical staff and others
- Ability to clearly express and critique ideas
- Ability to rapidly execute short turnaround engineering/R&D tasks
- Ability to communicate with a wide range of technical and non-technical audiences
- Strong problem solving skills, ability to approach new problems with creativity
- Resource estimation and projection
- Strong time management skills
- Self - motivation and autonomy

Additional preferred experience and/or qualifications:

- Testing to industry or international standards
- Experience writing standard operating procedures for technical tasks
- Experience operating tensile load frames, strain gauges, and microscopes
- Experience using electrical test devices
- Experience with metallographic sample preparation and analysis
- Experience with vacuum systems
- Prior hands-on involvement in engineering student clubs (i.e Formula SAE or Baja SAE) or practical internships related to materials testing
- Experience with CAD Software (NX, Solidworks, AutoCAD, etc.)
- Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs
- Extended activities such as typing, standing, and sitting
- Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, and cryogenics
- Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally
- #LI-Onsite
CFS team members thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits. We all tightly align with our company values of integrity, execution, impact and self-critique. As we grow, we are looking to add talented people who are mission driven and bring diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems.