Staff Computational Materials Scientist

Cfsenergy; Harvard (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonwealth Fusion Systems seeks a Staff Computational Materials Scientist to advance physics-based models and simulations for materials used in fusion devices. You will work across design and analysis teams to predict properties under extreme environments such as high temperature, radiation, and magnetic fields.

The role involves developing, benchmarking, and applying ICME tools, generating synthetic data, and guiding experiments to reduce uncertainty in materials performance for SPARC and ARC

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in relevant field preferred with strong computational background.
• Experience with ICME tools to answer cross-length-scale questions.
• Proven ability to build physics-based models and validate with data.

Responsibilities

• Use and build computational toolsets to predict material properties in extreme environments.
• Identify microstructural features that affect performance and quantify relationships for optimization.
• Design experiments and simulations to reduce uncertainty in material behavior under extreme conditions.
• Collaborate with engineers to create workflows for data capture, storage, and analysis.

Skills

Computational materials

ICME tools

First-principles modeling

Physics-informed modeling

High-performance computing

Data visualization

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Materials Science and Engineering

Applied Physics

Applied Mathematics

Physical Chemistry

Computer Science

Tools

Molecular dynamics

Phase-field

FEM

DFT

Parallel computing

Job description

About Commonwealth Fusion Systems:

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is on a mission to deliver the urgent transition to fusion energy.

Combining decades of research, top talent, and new technologies, we’re designing and building commercially viable fusion power plants. And we're working with policymakers, suppliers, and many others to build the energy industry of the future.

We’re in the best position to make it happen. Since 2018, we’ve raised $4 billion of capital, making us the largest and leading fusion company in the world.

Now we’re looking for more thinkers, doers, builders, and makers to join us. People who’ll bring new perspectives, solve tough problems, and thrive as part of a team.

If that’s you and this role fits, we want to hear from you.

Join the power movement as a Staff Computational Materials Scientist

The Materials and Processing (M&P) Department at CFS supports design engineers, supply chain, and manufacturing by selecting materials, unambiguously defining materials and processing routes, validating and measuring those materials and their properties, and conducting R&D to develop new materials and processes to enable fusion power deployment. M&P at CFS is organized around three primary thrusts: engineering, test and characterization, and development programs. The work is undertaken in support of delivering SPARC, the net energy tokamak under construction in Devens, MA, and ultimately in designing the ARC fusion power plant. These devices pose unique materials challenges including neutron fluxes produced by deuterium-tritium fusion, high heat loads, molten salt coolant systems, complex component topologies, high magnetic fields, and high mechanical loading in cryogenic conditions.

To support this mission, the CFS Materials Department is seeking a Computational Materials Scientist with expertise in process-structure-properties relationships, physics informed modeling, and materials in extreme environments. The ideal candidate would have a background in both computational materials simulation methods, and materials science and/or physical chemistry. The responsibilities will include physics-based modeling, synthetic data generation, and first-principles modeling and simulation to support development of CFS materials. They will collaborate with other engineers and subject matter experts to identify highest sensitivity parameters and prioritize experimental work for greatest impact to decreasing uncertainty

• Use and build computational toolsets, workflows, and methods to generate predicted material properties in extreme environments including temperature, radiation, and magnetic field with uncertainty bounds informed by physical mechanisms
• Identify chemical and microstructural features that strongly impact material performance in extreme environments, and quantify the relationships for use in optimization for engineering application
• Inform design of experiments for materials in extreme environments, including simultaneous corrosion, stress, and irradiation. As well as magnetic field, electric field, and high temperature
• In collaboration with design and analysis engineers, develop material design curves methodology capable of determining statistically significant minimum properties for tokamak applications such as low and high cycle fatigue, dielectric breakdown, radiation effects
• Identify gaps in knowledge and experimental capability which can be filled via simulation or model building
• Assist in benchmarking and creating metrics for material property variability and sources of variability in manufacturing,fabrication, assembly, and processes
• Collaborate with other M&P Engineers to create workflows to enable the appropriate capture, storage, data visualization and analysis of data generated within the materials domain
• Support writing materials standard specifications
• Stay current with the evolving technology and modeling techniques

• Materials Science and Engineering, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics, Physical Chemistry, Computer Science or related field
• Minimum of 10+ years experience in experimental or computational materials science
• Experience using computational materials science tools and integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) tools to answer specific scientific or engineering questions across length scales
• Implementation and/or authorship of codes for calculation and analyses of material properties and microstructures
• Predictive models for material properties and microstructure evolution in extreme environments
• Validation of models with experimental data or physical mechanism bounds
• Understanding process-structure-properties-performance principles and fundamental mechanisms responsible for property changes in extreme environments
• Understanding of the underlying models that enable materials simulation methods across length scales including; Atomistic, molecular dynamics, density functional theory, Monte Carlo, phase field, crystal plasticity, dislocation dynamics, and computational thermodynamics, finite element
• Scientific computing, numerical algorithms, FEM, FD, FVM, BEM, eigen/linear/PDE solvers, convex optimization, computational geometry, advanced statistical methods
• High-performance computing: distributed processing, message parsing interface, gpu acceleration
• Understanding of the sensitivity to uncertainty in the inputs and outputs of those calculations or models
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively cross-functionally
• Excellent organizational skills including prioritization of multiple concurrent projects
• Ability to break down complex problems into smaller deliverables that add value

• Experience displaying complex quantitative data in a simple, intuitive format and presenting findings clearly and concisely
• Experience making and justifying decisions in fast paced engineering settings
• Written and verbal communication with technical teams
• Taking under-defined problems and driving them to a state of completion
• Operating in a flexible, service-oriented engineering domain team
• Perform activities such as typing and sitting for extended periods of time
• Dedication to safety to mitigate industrial hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, and cryogenics
• Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally. Travel less than 10%

Does your experience not meet all of our posted requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to positions unless they meet every listed requirement. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, flexible, and collaborative environment, so if you want to help us transition the world to clean and affordable electricity, and don’t meet all posted requirements for a particular role, we’d still love to hear from you. We can sometimes be flexible enough to shift responsibilities for the right person, or otherwise identify open or upcoming roles that may better fit your professional background.

At CFS, we excel in fast-paced environments, driven by our values of integrity, execution, impact, and self-critique. As we grow, we’re eager to bring on mission-driven folks who offer diverse perspectives and fresh ways to tackle challenges.

We value diversity deeply and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally, regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law.

This role requires compliance with U.S. laws concerning the export of controlled or protected technologies or information (collectively, “Export Control Laws\