Staff Mechanical Engineer - Remote Maintenance

Commonwealth Fusion Systems LLC; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with employer matching

13 Company-wide Holidays

Flexible vacation days

Generous parental leave

Team-building activities

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is seeking a Staff Remote Maintenance Engineer to design and lead ARC's Remote Maintenance System. You will work with tokamak, plant engineering, and RHE teams to create maintainable fusion plant concepts and reliable maintenance processes.

You will apply deep expertise in robotics, remote handling, and multi-disciplinary analysis to define R&D paths, guide design decisions, and mentor engineers while helping deliver ARC to grid.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of mechanical engineering experience designing complex structures.
• 10+ years designing remote handling equipment using robotics.
• Proven track record leading R&D campaigns for novel remote maintenance tech.
• Strong experience with structural analysis (Ansys preferred).
• Proficient in CAD (NX preferred).
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and communicate complex concepts.
• Safety conscious and willing to travel up to 15%.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of the ARC Remote Maintenance System operations.
• Drive conceptual design of the ARC fusion power plant and provide cross‑functional guidance.
• Lead the design of radiation hardened RHE with robotics and heavy lift equipment.
• Perform maintenance assessments to shape ARC as a remotely maintainable power plant.
• Collaborate with tokamak engineers to design for remote maintainability.
• Conduct multi‑disciplinary trade studies across physics, thermo-fluids, structures, etc.
• Lead multiple teams and resolve conflicts to drive key decisions.
• Define and own the R&D strategy for the ARC remote maintenance program.
• Research remote handling solutions to improve performance and reduce cost.
• Coordinate with external RHE/robotics partners to transfer knowledge to CFS.
• Mentor junior and peer engineers.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Remote handling design

Robotics / RHE

Structural analysis

CAD NX

Leadership

Communication

Safety conscious

Education

B.S in Mechanical / Structural / Aerospace Engineering

M.S. preferred

Tools

ANSYS

NX CAD

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 Mechanical Engineer - Remote Maintenance

CFS is designing ARC as the world’s first commercial fusion power plant with the goal of bringing reliable and clean fusion energy to the grid. Due to device activation and commercial uptime needs, ARC will need periodic, fast, and reliable maintenance to be performed fully remotely. This will require novel solutions and integration in the fields of robotics, remote handling equipment (RHE), plant layout, manufacturing, and tokamak design. ARC’s Remote Maintenance System will thus be a critical aspect of realizing CFS’s mission to deliver the urgent transition to fusion energy.

The Remote Maintenance team is responsible for designing ARC’s Remote Maintenance System. As a Staff Remote Maintenance Engineer on the team, you will develop ARC’s maintenance scheme by designing RHE and collaborating with tokamak and plant engineering teams in the design of a maintainable power plant. You will play a key role in ARC’s pre-conceptual design phase along with other teams and navigate complex multi-disciplinary problems involving physics, neutronics, thermo-fluids, structures, maintenance, manufacturing, assembly, techno-economics, and other disciplines. This role also requires proactive R&D in novel remote maintenance technologies.

What you’ll do:

• Lead the development and strategic execution of the operations for the ARC Remote Maintenance System
• Drive the conceptual design process of the ARC fusion power plant, providing experttechnical guidance for cross-functional teams
• Lead the design of ARC’s radiation hardened remote handling equipment (RHE) byincorporating a mix of existing robotic technologies, custom hardware, and remotely operated heavy lift equipment
• Perform expert-level maintenance assessments of the tokamak and plant to shape thedevelopment of ARC as a remotely maintainable power plant, defining processes that impact direct work and identifying/mitigating significant long-term risks
• Collaborate closely with tokamak engineering teams to assist in designing the ARC tokamak for remote maintainability and finding creative and novel solutions for tokamak joints
• Perform high level multi-disciplinary trade studies of solutions that involve complex and ambiguous us tradeoffs between physics, neutronics, mechanical, thermo-fluids, electrical, maintenance, materials, manufacturing, techno-economics, and other disciplines
• Lead multiple teams and manage projects to solve tough multi-disciplinary problems by resolving conflicts and driving key decisions across teams
• Define and own the key R&D strategy needed for the ARC remote maintenance program, and help establish/direct the plans for executing the R&D campaigns internally or with external partners
• Research established and cutting-edge remote handling solutions to assess their application in the ARC remote maintenance system to influence strategic shifts and novel approaches to improve performance, reduce cost, and increase reliability
• Work with external RHE/robotics organizations and general industry to manage contracted work, collaborate on cutting edge R&D, and transfer knowledge and expertise into CFS
• Establish CFS’s remote maintenance design principles for RHE, the Tokamak, and plant, while propagating best practices and actively taking ownership of the growth and development of junior and peer engineers

What we’re looking for:

• Structural, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering B.S
• At least 10 years of mechanical engineering experience in the design, fabrication, testing, operations, integration, and commissioning of complex mechanical structures (e.g. fusion, fission, aerospace, marine)
• At least 10 years of technical experience in the design of remote handling equipment (RHE) using robotics or remotely operated precision mechanical structures (e.g. remote welding/cutting, manipulation, alignment, rescue, inspections)
• Proven track record of driving R&D campaigns of novel technology to increase TRL and unlock new design solutions in remote maintenance fields such as remote welding/cutting, inspections, bolting, manipulation, alignment, sensing, mechatronics, rad hard, and cleanliness
• Deep expertise with standard actuation, guidance mechanisms, sensing, and structural mechanisms
• Expertise in structural analysis via both hand calcs and finite element analysis (Ansys preferred)
• Familiar with CAD, (NX preferred)
• Ability to effectively lead a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, technical staff, executives, and others
• Ability to clearly communicate highly complex concepts to diverse audiences and build consensus
• Safety conscious

Bonus points for:

• Structural, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering M.S
• Experience operating with near-complete independence to drive conceptual design of complex systems involving high level, multi-disciplinary trade studies of both RHE and machine design (e.g. tokamak, fission core, sub-sea hardware, aerospace)
• Experience with the implementation of radiation hardened equipment and methods into RHE design
• Experience with mechatronics or applied robotics
• Experience with rescue or decommissioning RHE
• Experience with site layout design of remotely operated facilities
• Experience with activated waste handling (volume reduction, casking)
• Experience with remote cleanliness methods for UHV environments
• Experience with industrial maintenance facility layout
• Familiarity with basics of sensing, high power, controls, and fluid systems
• Familiarity with ultra high vacuum processes
• Experience with fault tree analysis or fault management and recovery for complex integrated systems
• Knowledge of fabrication methods such as welding and machining
• Knowledge of engineering materials basics for metals and composites
• Proficient in CAD (NX preferred)
• Self-driven and autonomous, capable of managing ambiguous assignments with loosely-defined outcomes
• Aptitude to use data to drive decisions
• Familiarity and experience with end-to-end processes with an emphasis on creativity and simplicity
• The ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments

Must-have Requirements:

• 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 expected up to 15%

$130,000 - $200,000 a year

Salary range for this full-time position + equity + benefits

• Competitive compensation with equity
• 13 Company-wide Holidays
• Flexible vacation days
• 10 sick days
• Generous parental leave policy
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Professional growth opportunities
• Team-building activities

#LI-Onsite

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"). Any offer of employment will be contingent on the need for compliance with such Export Control Laws.