Senior Mechanical Engineer - Fluid Systems

Pacific Fusion•Fremont, CA

3h•Onsite

About The Position

Pacific Fusion is seeking an exceptional Senior Mechanical Engineer – Fluid Systems to help create the path to commercial fusion energy. You will take ownership of fluid system development and deployment in support of our demonstration system, solving multidisciplinary engineering problems necessary for proving net-facility gain using pulsed magnetic inertial fusion. This role reports to the Senior Process Engineer in Pulser Engineering and sits at the intersection of fluid systems design, thermal management, and hands-on hardware integration. You will work onsite at our Fremont, CA office, with periodic collaboration at our San Leandro, CA Build Center.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline; Master's or PhD is a plus.
7+ years of professional experience delivering on full-scope engineering projects, including schedule ownership.
Experience applying engineering first-principles and method-based thinking to challenging problems.
Hands-on exposure across multiple engineering disciplines, including fluids, mechanical, structural, and thermal.
Proficiency in CAD software (Creo Parametric preferred) and strong 3D modeling habits.
Experience with analytical tools such as MATLAB, Simulink Simscape, ANSYS Fluent, or equivalent.
Proven track record of taking mechanical designs from concept through fabrication and test.
Hands-on experience in laboratory or prototype environments — comfortable with rapid iteration and ambiguity.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate trade-offs clearly across disciplines.

Nice To Haves

Experience in fusion, plasma physics, accelerator physics, defense, or other high-consequence technical environments.
Familiarity with process engineering tools such as ePLAN.
Exposure to large-scale thermal management systems, coolant loops, or industrial fluid handling.
Experience with vacuum systems, cryogenics, high-voltage hardware, or pulsed power components.

Responsibilities

Take full ownership of fluid system designs — including thermal and structural subsystem considerations — continuously refining design specifications to meet evolving system requirements.
Develop novel hardware solutions by leveraging historical engineering knowledge and first-principles thinking, and validate these solutions through rigorous testing.
Design fluid system hardware and process engineering tools (ePLAN), conducting detailed analysis with specialized in-house and external tools
Lead designs from concept through fabrication and test, building and testing assemblies in our Fremont Research High Bay and San Leandro Build Center.
Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams — including electrical, software, manufacturing, and pulser engineering — to deliver integrated system-level designs.
Work closely with experienced technicians to implement and integrate hardware designs hands-on.
Conduct and participate in design reviews, utilizing feedback to achieve fully functional, production-ready systems.
Address and resolve hardware development issues that arise on integrated fluid system components.
Oversee the creation of detailed design documentation, drawings, and specifications for fluid systems.