Electrical Engineer (Controls and Infrastructure)

General Fusion Inc; Richmond; Hybrid; CAD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Four weeks' vacation

RRSP Contribution

Great company culture – social events,

weekly lunch program

Job summary

General Fusion is seeking an Electrical Engineer with strong controls experience to join the Controls & Electronics team in Richmond, BC. You will design, build, test, and commission electrical and control hardware for high-voltage pulsed power, vacuum, gas handling, and diagnostics that support plasma experiments.

The role is hybrid, predominantly on site with some remote design work; occasional shift hours may be required to support experimental campaigns.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent and P.Eng. eligibility/registration with EGBC.
• 5+ years designing, building, and commissioning electrical control systems in R&D, manufacturing, or process environments.
• Hands-on panel building and wiring with test equipment (multimeters, insulation resistance testers, oscilloscopes).
• Understanding of grounding, shielding, and electrical noise in industrial or lab settings.
• PLC programming experience in IEC 61131-3 languages on major platforms.
• Knowledge of Canadian Electrical Code and CSA requirements for industrial control panels.
• Experience with EtherCAT, Modbus, and EtherNet/IP protocols.
• Strong technical communication and documentation skills.
• Commitment to safe work practices in a lab/R&D environment.

Responsibilities

• Design electrical and control hardware for experimental machines and subsystems including power distribution and interlocks from schematics to BOMs.
• Build, wire, and test control panels in-house with technicians and develop standardized procedures.
• Develop reusable panel designs and hardware building blocks for common needs.
• Design and implement safety systems for high-voltage equipment including E-Stop chains and safety relays.
• Write, test, and maintain PLC logic and simple operator HMIs.
• Install, commission, and troubleshoot systems on the experiment floor with proper grounding and noise mitigation.
• Support shot operations to sequence plasma compression safely and iteratively.
• Maintain as-built documentation, test records, and safety analyses; write quick start guides.

Skills

Panel building

Troubleshooting

PLC programming

IEC 61131-3

Industrial protocols

Electrical code knowledge

Safety culture

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent

Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with EGBC

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT

TwinCAT HMI

LabVIEW

Python

AutoCAD Electrical

EPLAN

SolidWorks Electrical

Job description

General Fusion (NASDAQ: GFUZ) is a fusion technology development company. The Company aims to deliver economical, carbon-free fusion energy through its practical Magnetized Target Fusion(“MTF”) technology, an engineering-driven approach to fusion energy. General Fusion's commercialization program is anchored by LM26, the world's first commercially relevant-scale MTF demonstration machine. The Company is working toward the commercial deployment of fusion power in the mid-2030s. General Fusion is the first publicly listed fusion company and TIME’s No. 1 GreenTech Company of 2026. For more information, visit generalfusion.com or follow General Fusion on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X.

General Fusion is searching for an Electrical Engineer with strong controls experience to join our Controls & Electronics team on our path to commercial fusion. Reporting to the Manager, Controls & Electronics, you will design, build, test, and commission the electrical and control hardware behind our one-of-a-kind experimental machines - including the high-voltage pulsed power, vacuum, gas handling, and diagnostic systems that support our plasma physics experiments. You will also support shot operations, working with operators to keep the machine running safely and repeatably through experimental campaigns.

Our machines are one-of-a-kind experiments, built and modified on tight timelines, with requirements that evolve as the physics does. We design, build, and test our own control panels in-house, and much of the work involves high-voltage and pulsed power systems, where grounding, noise, and safety need careful attention. We are looking for an engineer who is as comfortable with a wire stripper and a multimeter as with a schematic or PLC code, and who wants to see their work through from the drawing board to the experiment floor.

This is a hybrid role, but predominantly on site at General Fusion's facilities in Richmond, BC: panel building, testing, and commissioning happen in our lab and on the experiment floor. Design and documentation work can sometimes be done remotely. The role may require occasional shift work or flexible hours to support shot operations during experimental campaigns.

Job Responsibilities

• Design electrical and control hardware for experimental machines and supporting subsystems - power distribution, control panels, interlocks, instrumentation, and cabling - from component selection through schematics, panel layouts, I/O lists, and bills of materials.
• Build, wire, and test control panels in-house alongside our technicians. Contribute towards creating standardized hardware test procedures.
• Develop reusable, standardized panel designs and hardware building blocks for common needs, rather than one-offs.
• Design and implement safety systems for high-voltage equipment, including E-Stop chains, interlocks, safety relays, and safety-rated I/O.
• Write, test, and maintain PLC logic for interlocks, sequencing, and monitoring, along with simple operator HMIs.
• Install, commission, and troubleshoot systems on the experiment floor, applying sound grounding, shielding, and noise-mitigation practices.
• Support shot operations: help sequence plasma compression shots safely and repeatably, keep the machine within safe limits, respond quickly when operators need support, and feed operator input back into system improvements.
• Keep as-built documentation, test records, and safety analyses current, and write quick start and troubleshooting guides so operators can resolve common issues themselves.
• Ensure designs comply with the Canadian Electrical Code, CSA standards for industrial control panels, and lab safety requirements, and champion a strong safety culture.
• Plan your own work packages and collaborate with physics, mechanical, electrical, and software teams to turn experimental requirements into reliable, maintainable hardware

Job Requirements

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent, and registration (or eligibility for registration) as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with EGBC.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, building, and commissioning electrical control systems in R&D, manufacturing, or process environments, including taking control panels from schematic through build and test.
• Hands-on panel building and wiring skills, and confidence with test equipment such as multimeters, insulation resistance testers, and oscilloscopes.
• Practical understanding of grounding, shielding, and electrical noise in industrial or lab settings.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across electrical, mechanical, and software domains.
• Working knowledge of the Canadian Electrical Code and CSA requirements for industrial control panels.
• PLC programming experience in IEC 61131-3 languages on at least one major platform (e.g., Beckhoff TwinCAT, Siemens, Allen-Bradley), and familiarity with industrial protocols such as EtherCAT, Modbus, and EtherNet/IP
• A pragmatic, self-directed approach and the ability to deliver quality work under schedule pressure.
• Clear technical communication and documentation skills.
• Commitment to safe work practices in a lab or R&D environment.

Preferred:

• Experience guiding or mentoring technicians.
• Experience with high-voltage, pulsed power, high-current, vacuum, or cryogenic systems.
• Experience designing safety circuits for high-voltage or hazardous-energy equipment, and working knowledge of machine and functional safety standards (e.g., ISO 13849, IEC 62061).
• Electrical trade certification or a background as an industrial electrician or electrical technician.
• Proficiency with electrical schematic capture and panel design tools (e.g., AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, SolidWorks Electrical).
• Experience with instrumentation and data acquisition (e.g., thermocouples, pressure and vacuum gauges, flow meters).
• Experience in fusion, high-energy physics, particle accelerator, semiconductor, or similar high-tech R&D facilities.
• Hands-on experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT and TwinCAT HMI, LabVIEW, or Python.
• Experience leading a control system redesign or migration on an operating R&D or production system.
• Exposure to broader controls and data systems: SCADA, OPC UA, motion control, alarm and logging design, time-series databases, and CI/CD for controls software.

What We Offer

• Four weeks' vacation
• RRSP Contribution
• Great company culture – social events, weekly lunch program, bike rides, Sun Run, etc.

Salary range

• 100,000 – 140,000 CAD Annual

The posted salary range encompasses two job levels. The appropriate level will be determined through the interview process based on the candidate’s skills, experience, and qualifications. The final salary offer will be aligned with the assessed level and the candidate’s overall suitability for the role.

Candidates who hold P.Eng or EIT credentials will be hired under the Engineer title. Those without these credentials will be assigned an equivalent title that matches the scope of their position.

General Fusion is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.