Molten Salt Engineer

Commonwealth Fusion Systems•Devens, MA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is seeking an entry-level Molten Salt Engineer to support experimental testing operations on the Blanket System team. Salt chemistry influences corrosion, hydrogen speciation, and material behavior under irradiation, so maintaining precise chemistry control is essential as the team scales to larger systems. The role initially focuses on executing standard operating procedures, routine materials testing, and quality control. With experience, the engineer's work will expand to experimental design, test-cell design and construction, and leading projects in materials corrosion and blanket health monitoring. The team emphasizes teamwork, safety, and pragmatic risk management.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience in an R&D environment; PhD program experience counts.
Experience conducting R&D work in a chemical laboratory.
Experience in experimental design and analysis aimed at improving component and system technology readiness levels (TRLs).
Experience working with safety systems for hazardous chemicals.
Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, technical staff, and others.
Ability to clearly express and critique ideas.
Strong communication and organizational skills.
Strong problem-solving skills and creativity when approaching new problems.
Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.
Ability to sit, type, stand, stoop, or climb for extended periods.
Dedication to safety when mitigating industrial hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, and cryogenics.
Willingness to travel or work required nights, weekends, or on-call occasionally.

Nice To Haves

Experience with modeling tools such as Calphad, FactSage, or COMSOL, or similar.
PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related field.
Experience with electrochemistry or electrochemical engineering.
Experience with radiochemistry.
Experience with molten salt systems, particularly fluoride salt systems.
Experience with high-temperature or corrosive systems.
Experience with gas handling systems and gas analysis.
Experience modeling chemical systems, such as reaction, transport, thermodynamic, or radiochemical systems.
Experience setting up new laboratory facilities or new analysis equipment, such as gas chromatographs (GCs).

Responsibilities

Help create in-house experimental setups, including defining requirements, fabrication, testing, and operation.
Perform salt characterization testing and improve the repeatability and robustness of testing processes.
Perform calibration exercises for various tests, including electrochemical tests.
Analyze and synthesize heterogeneous data to characterize salt quality.
Contribute to chemical-system and material requirements.
Support experiments and in-loop testing for salt-compatible components such as pumps, valves, and heat exchangers.
Work with external vendors to procure equipment and materials.
Collaborate with the safety team to manage chemical hazards, including beryllium, in existing and new experimental test articles.
Work with the ARC Design Team and other CFS teams.