Senior Mechanical Engineer — Hands-on Fusion Hardware

Avalanche, Inc.; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent medical, dental, and vision

10 paid holidays

Generous vacation and sick time

Equity / Stock options

Job summary

Avalanche Energy is seeking a hands-on Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and maintain mechanical and vacuum systems for our compact fusion devices. You will work on CAD design, fabrication, testing, and troubleshooting in a lab environment.

You will collaborate with physicists and engineers to iterate hardware from concept to deployment, handling thermal management, high-vacuum systems, and precision assemblies. Opportunity for growth and equity available.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree or higher in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a closely related field.
• 2-5 years of post‑degree experience in hands-on mechanical engineering roles, preferably in a laboratory or experimental hardware environment.
• Strong command of mechanical engineering fundamentals, including structural analysis, thermal systems, fluid mechanics, and materials selection.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA, or equivalent) for design, assembly modeling, and drawing generation.
• Experience designing, assembling, and operating vacuum systems, including familiarity with pumping systems, gauging, and leak checking.
• Experience with thermal management design, including heat transfer analysis, cooling system design, and thermal interface materials.
• Experience working with machine shops and fabrication processes, including tolerance specification, GD&T, and hands-on assembly of precision mechanical hardware.
• Familiarity with FEA tools for structural or thermal analysis (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent).
• Comfort working directly with physical hardware in a laboratory or machine shop environment, including hands-on assembly, installation, and test.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain mechanical and vacuum systems supporting fusion experiments, diagnostics, and laboratory infrastructure.
• Work alongside physicists and engineers to conceive, implement, and refine mechanical systems for experimental hardware, from initial concept through fabrication, assembly, and iteration.
• Specify, procure, fabricate, and test mechanical hardware including vacuum vessels, structural mounts, thermal interfaces, feedthroughs, and precision mechanical assemblies.
• Perform hands‑on troubleshooting of mechanical and vacuum systems, diagnosing issues related to leaks, thermal performance, structural loading, alignment, and hardware fit‑up.
• Support experiment operation by setting up, validating, and maintaining mechanical systems, vacuum hardware, and associated diagnostics.
• Provide mechanical insight into experimental results, helping interpret hardware performance, system behavior, and failure modes.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of lab mechanical practices, documentation, fabrication standards, and build processes.

Skills

Mechanical fundamentals

Vacuum systems

3D CAD

Thermal management

GD&T

Hands-on hardware

Lab operations

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

CATIA

ANSYS

Job description

Avalanche Energy is seeking a hands-on Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and maintain mechanical and vacuum systems for our compact fusion devices. You will work on CAD design, fabrication, testing, and troubleshooting in a lab environment.

You will collaborate with physicists and engineers to iterate hardware from concept to deployment, handling thermal management, high-vacuum systems, and precision assemblies. Opportunity for growth and equity available.