Senior System Engineer

Avalanche • Seattle, WA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

Avalanche Energy is hiring a Senior Systems Engineer to join its PMO and Systems Engineering team. This hands-on individual contributor role focuses on systems engineering and technical program integration across the company’s fusion development programs. The engineer will work with plasma physicists and mechanical, electrical engineering/data acquisition, nuclear, and test-infrastructure engineers to translate scientific objectives into executable technical work. The work may involve defining experiment objectives, tracing interfaces among devices, diagnostics, facilities, and control systems, preparing technical reviews, and converting developing architectures into requirements and integrated device roadmaps. The position reports to the Head of PMO and Systems Engineering and operates as an embedded systems engineer and technical integrator within program teams.

The role supports two core programs: the Orbitron Science Program and the FusionWERX infrastructure build-out. For Orbitron, the engineer leads systems engineering and technical integration for new devices and major test capabilities from early concept through commissioning. For FusionWERX, the engineer leads systems definition and technical integration, including operational concepts, facility requirements, interfaces, and technical scope. The work involves coordination across multiple technical disciplines and turning incomplete or evolving problems into structured requirements, decisions, and executable development work.

The position is onsite in Tukwila, Washington, with periodic travel to the FusionWERX facility in Richland, Washington. Estimated travel is 10–20%.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of systems engineering experience in multidisciplinary hardware or technology development.
• Demonstrated experience applying systems engineering practices, including requirements, interfaces, architecture, verification and validation, and technical risk management.
• Demonstrated experience integrating across multiple technical disciplines and resolving system-level dependencies, interfaces, and tradeoffs.
• Track record of turning incomplete or evolving technical problems into structured requirements, decisions, and executable development work.
• Experience personally producing systems engineering deliverables and working at both the system level and detailed execution level.
• Experience leading technical reviews, trade studies, or cross-functional engineering discussions and communicating outcomes clearly to technical and program leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt systems engineering methods to the maturity and needs of a program.
• Project management experience, including schedule development, milestone tracking, and risk and issue management.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a startup, R&D, or rapidly scaling organization where technical processes and ways of working are still evolving.
• Experience in plasma physics, applied physics, nuclear engineering, radiation systems, or another science-intensive technical domain.
• Experience supporting government-funded development programs, including work with organizations such as DOE, DoD, DARPA, or NASA.
• Experience in aerospace, advanced propulsion, energy, or other complex multidisciplinary hardware development environments.
• Familiarity with regulated technical environments, including radiation safety, nuclear regulation, or export control requirements such as EAR/ITAR.

Responsibilities

• Lead systems engineering and technical integration for new Orbitron devices and major test capabilities from early concept through commissioning.
• Translate scientific and experimental needs into system requirements, architecture, interfaces, development plans, and verification approaches across hardware, diagnostics, controls, high voltage, and test infrastructure.
• Coordinate scientific and engineering disciplines, driving technical reviews, trade studies, interface resolution, and system-level decisions needed to deliver an integrated test capability.
• Lead systems definition and technical integration for FusionWERX, including concept of operations, facility requirements, interfaces, and technical scope.
• Coordinate across facility engineering, neutronics, radiation safety, regulatory, operations, and experimental systems to identify and resolve cross-disciplinary requirements and interfaces.
• Lead system-level trade studies and technical definition activities, including coordination of external consultants, to turn evolving operational needs into an executable facility design.
• Develop schedules, track milestones, and manage risks and issues.
• Communicate technical review and discussion outcomes clearly to technical and program leadership.

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits, with 100% of premiums paid by the company.
• 10 paid holidays and a company-wide December holiday break.
• Generous paid vacation and sick time.
• Small, tight-knit team with low barriers to action.
• Exposure to a wide variety of problems for hands-on professional growth.
• Weekly employer-provided team meals, a well-stocked kitchen, and employee events on and off-site.
• Opportunity for equity.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed