Vacuum Engineer

Type One Energy•Knoxville, TN

About The Position

We are seeking a Vacuum Engineer to contribute to the design, optimization, implementation, operation, and maintenance of the vacuum systems of our fusion plants. As a Vacuum Engineer, you will be expected to take ownership of vacuum sub-systems, communicate with vendors, install, test, and verify vacuum equipment. You will have the opportunity to be involved in Research & Development projects, including, but not limited to, the vacuum systems and other thermofluids design aspects across the stellarator core

Requirements

3+ years of experience with vacuum hand calculations and simulation tools (either of these, or similar to these: MolFlow / ANSYS / COMSOL) in modeling vacuum and/or gas processes
3+ years of experience with installing and operating vacuum equipment: pumps, flanges, vacuum valves, gauges, and other equipment.
Familiarity with leak detection, leak hunting techniques, and eliminating leaks in vacuum systems.
Ability to read technical drawings, schematics, and service manuals.
Ability to communicate results of analyses and contribute constructively to the design effort.
Ability to reduce complex problems into simpler analysis tasks to inform decision-making and down-selection

Nice To Haves

Experience working on nuclear systems and/or handling tritium
Hands-on experience with installing and operating Residual Gas Analyzers
Proficient use of CAD software (Siemens NX, Solidworks, or similar)
Experience working in large experimental facilities
Experience with fabrication techniques, vacuum cleanliness standards associated with large experimental facilities
Experience with cryogenic systems (LN2, LHe, cold heads, compressors)

Responsibilities

Contribute to the design, development, and optimization of vacuum pumping pipelines, ducts, and ports.
Contribute to the down select processes of pumps, flanges, vacuum valves, gauges, leak checkers, and other vacuum equipment
Develop and validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using tools such as Comsol Molecular and Rarefied Flow Module, or MolFlow.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to propose vacuum solutions and evaluate their compatibility with core system designs
Contribute to the standardization of the approved materials list, cleaning, and baking methods for components used in a Tritium fusion plant
Take ownership in the market research, procurement, testing, and installation processes of vacuum components and sub-systems
Foster a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence within the engineering team
Assist in developing standardized workflows and best practices for the emerging vacuum team of T1E