Senior Welding Engineer
Devens, MA
R&D – Materials /
Full-time /
On-site
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy.
CFS collaborates with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with groundbreaking new high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. Our mission is to deploy these power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. To that end, CFS has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution. Supported by the world’s leading investors, CFS is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change. To implement this plan, we are looking to add dedicated people to the team who treat people well, improve our work by adding multifaceted perspectives and new ways of solving problems, have achieved outstanding results through a range of pursuits, and have skills and experience related to this role.
The Materials Department at CFS supports design engineers, supply chain, and manufacturing by selecting materials and processes, unambiguously defining materials and their properties, validating and measuring those materials and their properties, and conducting R&D to develop new materials and processes to enable fusion power deployment. 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 cryogenic mechanical loads. To support this mission, the CFS Materials Department is seeking Welding Engineers to support welding process development for both in- and out-of-house superconducting magnet and tokamak assemblies. The welding engineer will work collaboratively across disciplines to develop weld geometry and techniques, weld specifications, and inspection methods needed for CFS components and assemblies.
This team member will:
- Develop welding and non-destructive test processes and certification plans in compliance with appropriate standards and codes
- Translating component/system performance requirements and failure modes into joining process requirements and defining appropriate test methods to measure/validate those processes
- Collaborating with design and manufacturing engineers to approve or select materials and processing methods
- Develop and qualify Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and Procedure Qualification Records (PQR)
- Evaluate and create weld processes for both manual and automated welding
- Provide manufacturability feedback to design engineers for weld geometries and material selection
- Select and commission welding equipment needed to support production and create maintenance plans
- Work with in-house welders and external vendors to weld and inspect large metallic structures and tooling within specified timelines and budgets
- Troubleshoot and resolve manufacturing discrepancies with a focus on continuous improvement
- Designing experiments to quickly learn critical performance metrics in manufacturing relevant conditions
- Provide on-demand subject matter expertise for production root cause analyses and corrective action plans related to as-fabricated assemblies
- Influence make vs. buy decisions and work with external vendors to augment internal capabilities
- Collect, organize, and present process/quality data to a broad team
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of these requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering field
- 8 years experience in welding engineering (preferred) metallurgy or related field or equivalent years of welding experience
- Experience with large metallic structures and manufacturing processes related to machining, welding, drilling, and non-destructive test methods
- Experience taking products from R&D into production, including developing welding techniques to transition from manual to automated processes
- High self-motivation and drive to execute quickly with excellent troubleshooting/problem-solving skills
- Proficiency in CAD for tooling design is preferred (NX & Teamcenter is a plus)
- Safety practices as they pertain to welding, cutting, and joining processes
- Agile project management and task execution
- Strong problem solving skills, ability to approach new problems with creativity
- Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, technical staff, and others
Additional experience and/or qualifications:
- Experience making and justifying decisions in fast paced engineering settings
- Project management experience working with internal customers and external vendors to deliver manufactured hardware within specified timelines and budgets
- Communicating with technical teams at vendors and suppliers
- Taking under-defined problems and driving them to a state of completion
- Operating in a flexible, service-oriented engineering domain team
- Experience in communicating joining process and development methods and metrics to technical and executive leadership
- Ability to regularly lift up to 50 lbs
- Perform activities such as stooping, typing, standing, sitting, and welding 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
- #LI-Onsite
CFS team members thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits. We all tightly align with our company values of integrity, execution, impact and self-critique. As we grow, we are looking to add talented people who are mission driven and bring diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems.
At CFS, we deeply value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis 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, ordinance, or regulation.
