Senior Mechanical Engineer - Vacuum & Lab Systems

Avalanche Energy; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent medical, dental and vision

10 paid holidays

Generous vacation and sick time

Equity opportunities

Team meals and events

On-site lab access

Job summary

Avalanche Energy in Seattle is seeking a hands-on Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and maintain vacuum, structural, and thermal systems for compact fusion devices. You will lead CAD modeling, component selection, fabrication, assembly, testing, and troubleshooting in a lab environment, collaborating with physicists and engineers on rapid experiments.

Ideal candidates have a B.S. in mechanical or aerospace engineering, 2–5 years of post-degree experience, and strong fundamentals in

Qualifications

• B.S. in mechanical or aerospace engineering or related field.
• 2–5 years post-degree hands-on mechanical engineering experience.
• Strong fundamentals in structural analysis, thermal systems, fluids, and materials.
• Proficiency with CAD tools (SolidWorks, CATIA) for design and drawings.
• Experience with vacuum systems, pumping, gauging, and leak checking.
• Familiarity with FEA tools (e.g., ANSYS) and lab fabrication.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain mechanical and vacuum systems for fusion experiments.
• Work with physicists and engineers from concept through fabrication and iteration.
• Specify, procure, fabricate, test, and troubleshoot mechanical hardware.
• Support experiments by validating mechanical systems and diagnostics.
• Provide mechanical input on results and improve lab practices and processes.

Skills

Hands-on engineering

CAD modeling

Troubleshooting

Education

B.S. in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

CATIA

ANSYS

Job description

Avalanche Energy in Seattle is seeking a hands-on Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and maintain vacuum, structural, and thermal systems for compact fusion devices. You will lead CAD modeling, component selection, fabrication, assembly, testing, and troubleshooting in a lab environment, collaborating with physicists and engineers on rapid experiments.

Ideal candidates have a B.S. in mechanical or aerospace engineering, 2–5 years of post-degree experience, and strong fundamentals in