Hands-On Test Infrastructure Engineer for Rapid Hardware R&D

Avalanche Energy; Tukwila (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

10 paid holidays and a December break

Generous paid vacation and sick time

Stock options

Job summary

Avalanche Energy is seeking a Test Infrastructure Engineer to design, build, commission, and maintain infrastructure for fusion experiments. You will bridge mechanical design, electrical systems, facilities, manufacturing, and test operations to create fixtures, test stands, and safe, repeatable hardware that can be quickly modified.

This role entails ownership from concept through CAD, drawings, procurement, fabrication, installation, and maintenance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong mechanical design skills including 3D CAD, detailed drawings, tolerancing, material selection, and design for fabrication and assembly.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience building, installing, commissioning, maintaining, or repairing equipment you designed.
• Working knowledge of electrical systems, instrumentation, sensors, controls, and basic electrical troubleshooting.
• Experience integrating fluid, pneumatic, vacuum, thermal, or other facility-supported systems.
• Ability to safely use common hand tools, power tools, measurement equipment, and shop equipment.
• Ability to take ambiguous needs from concept through working hardware with limited oversight.
• Strong ownership, practical judgment, communication skills, and attention to detail in a fast-moving R&D environment.
• Three or more years of experience in tooling, test, manufacturing, or R&D engineering.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, commission, modify, and maintain test cells, fixtures, tooling, equipment supports, utility systems, and experimental infrastructure.
• Translate experimental needs into practical requirements, concepts, layouts, CAD models, drawings, bills of material, and build plans.
• Perform hands-on fabrication and assembly using common shop tools and processes. Coordinate outside fabrication when appropriate.
• Design and integrate mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, controls, water, gas, pneumatic, hydraulic, vacuum, and thermal-management systems.
• Own test infrastructure through its full lifecycle, including installation, checkout, documentation, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and retirement.
• Develop safe, serviceable, and repeatable solutions with thoughtful access, routing, labeling, guarding, lifting, and human factors.
• Support fusion test cells from floor to ceiling, including equipment layouts, foundations and supports, utilities, cable and hose routing, work access, and facility interfaces.
• Work directly with engineers, scientists, technicians, and operators to prepare experiments and resolve problems during build and test campaigns.
• Participate directly in rapid design-build-test cycles, balancing speed with sound engineering judgment and workmanship.
• Create and maintain drawings, schematics, assembly instructions, operating procedures, maintenance records, and configuration documentation.
• Establish practical standards and reusable approaches for test infrastructure, tooling, utility distribution, and lab workmanship.
• Identify fragile setups, recurring failures, safety risks, and maintenance burdens, then design and implement durable improvements.
• Plan and coordinate equipment moves, installations, vendor work, and facility modifications associated with test infrastructure.
• Keep shared tools, spares, work areas, and infrastructure organized, functional, and ready for the next build or test.

Skills

3D CAD

Detailed drawings

Tolerancing

Fabrication

Electrical troubleshooting

Instrumentation

Controls knowledge

Shop tools

Project ownership

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

Avalanche Energy is seeking a Test Infrastructure Engineer to design, build, commission, and maintain infrastructure for fusion experiments. You will bridge mechanical design, electrical systems, facilities, manufacturing, and test operations to create fixtures, test stands, and safe, repeatable hardware that can be quickly modified.

This role entails ownership from concept through CAD, drawings, procurement, fabrication, installation, and maintenance.