Mechanical Engineer - Fusion

Zap Energy; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Zap Energy, located in Everett, WA, is looking for a self-driven mechanical engineer to aid in the development of liquid metal cooled/shielded electrodes for their Fusion Power Core. The role involves managing projects from concept to hardware demonstration and requires expertise in fluid dynamics and heat transfer.

The ideal candidate will hold an MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, have strong problem-solving skills, and be familiar with CAD design and prototyping. A strong commitment to safety and effective communication is essential.

Qualifications

• MS (with 3 years of relevant experience) or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Experience with vacuum systems is preferred.
• Hands-on experience in fabrication and prototyping.

Responsibilities

• Manage projects end to end, from scope to execution.
• Propose and refine technology solutions.
• Design, build, and operate experiments.

Skills

Fluid dynamics

Heat transfer

Assembly-level CAD

3D printing

Effective communication

Education

MS in Mechanical Engineering

PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

COMSOL

ANSYS

OpenFOAM

Job description

Overview

Zap Energy is seeking a self-driven mechanical engineer to aid in the development of liquid metal cooled/shielded electrodes for Zap’s emergent Fusion Power Core. This role owns projects from concept through hardware demonstration, moving between literature surveys, modeling, and building/testing experiments and prototypes. Being a curious, self-driven team player is foundational to success in this role.

Responsibilities

• Project Ownership: Manage your own projects end to end — scope, budget, plan, procure materials and equipment, and foster collaboration. Take responsibility for safety considerations in your test setups.
• Concept Development: Propose solutions or lines of inquiry when the group identifies a needed technology or capability, and refine them through informal team discussion.
• Modeling & Down selection: Model and iterate on candidate solutions, down selecting until a design is actionable or ready for testing.
• Build & Test: Design, build, and operate experiments and prototypes, typically water or liquid-metal flow loops and vacuum-chamber experiments.
• Communication: Regularly communicate progress, findings, and conclusions to the team through informal discussion, culminating in formal design reviews near the end of a design effort.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with coworkers across disciplines throughout the design and test cycle.

Qualifications

Required

• MS (with 3 years of relevant experience) or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Fluid dynamics: experiment and modeling background, with working knowledge of incompressible flow theory.
• Heat transfer: modeling ability, with working knowledge of theory.
• Design: Assembly-level CAD for custom hardware.
• Fabrication: 3D printing, in-house prototyping, and hands-on build and test.

Preferred

• Vacuum systems experience
• COMSOL, ANSYS, OpenFOAM
• Modeling: phase change, electromagnetics
• Instrumentation & controls: sensor integration; data acquisition

Personal Attributes And Skills

• Strong commitment to safety, quality, and ethical standards in engineering.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Self-starter and can-do attitude, with curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning.
• Familiarity and competence with basic program management processes and tools.
• Outside the box thinking, grounded in practical engineering solutions.
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
• The ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Adaptability and resilience.

Employment may be conditioned upon the ability to obtain export authorization. Estimated salary range: 110,000 to 160,000 annually. Candidates may be considered for other positions at Zap Energy and actual salary will be based on relevant education, experience, and other qualifications. Range is published in accordance with Washington Equal Pay and Opportunity Act.

Zap Energy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws and regulations.