Senior Mechanical Engineer, Vacuum Systems - Onsite, Equity

Avalanche Energy; Tukwila (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Paid holidays

Paid vacation and sick time

Stock options

Job summary

Avalanche Energy in Washington state is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer with deep vacuum expertise to design, build, and maintain vacuum and mechanical systems for compact fusion devices. You will work directly on ultra high vacuum hardware, structural assemblies, and thermal management in a lab setting.

You will handle CAD modeling, component selection, fabrication, assembly, testing, and troubleshooting, collaborating with physicists and engineers to push rapid hardware iteration and

Qualifications

• BS degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or closely related field.
• 8–12 years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience with vacuum systems.
• Strong fundamentals in structural analysis, thermal systems, fluids, and materials.
• Experience with ultra-high vacuum (UHV) systems and bakeout.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and drawing generation.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain vacuum and mechanical systems for fusion experiments.
• Collaborate with physicists and engineers from concept to fabrication.
• Procure, fabricate, test mechanical hardware including vacuum vessels and mounts.
• Troubleshoot leaks, thermal performance, alignment, and fit-up.
• Support experimental operations and document hardware performance.
• Provide mechanical insight into results and failure modes.
• Contribute to lab practices, fabrication standards, and build processes.

Skills

Vacuum systems expertise

3D CAD (SolidWorks/CATIA)

Thermal management design

Mechanical assembly

Lab equipment operation

Education

B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

CATIA

FEA software (ANSYS/Abaqus)

Vacuum pumps & gauges

GD&T tooling

Job description

Avalanche Energy in Washington state is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer with deep vacuum expertise to design, build, and maintain vacuum and mechanical systems for compact fusion devices. You will work directly on ultra high vacuum hardware, structural assemblies, and thermal management in a lab setting.

You will handle CAD modeling, component selection, fabrication, assembly, testing, and troubleshooting, collaborating with physicists and engineers to push rapid hardware iteration and