Director of Fusion Nuclear Science

Salary Range: 220000 to 260000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

Responsibilities

Build, lead and grow the Fusion Nuclear Science department, including hiring, onboarding, mentoring, and professional development of scientific staff.
Define and own the scientific roadmap for fusion chamber dynamics, blanket multi-physics, tritium science, and supporting fusion nuclear science domains.
Develop the strategy for scientific tools, modeling frameworks, experimental capabilities, and validation infrastructure.
Oversee scientific analysis, modeling, code development, and experimental programs with strong emphasis on reproducibility, uncertainty quantification, and model credibility.
Translate scientific insights, experimental data, and validated models into design guidance for engineering teams responsible for fusion system architecture.
Collaborate closely with the engineering  and operations divisions, and with other science departments, to ensure strong communication and alignment.
Evaluate emerging scientific opportunities and integrate advances from academia, national laboratories, and international fusion programs.
Manage relationships with external laboratories, university collaborators, and vendors providing modeling tools, experimental facilities, or other fusion nuclear science scope.
Establish department‑wide scientific best practices, documentation standards, review processes, and quality expectations appropriate for industrial fusion systems.
Identify key scientific risks across fusion nuclear science programs and drive mitigation strategies supporting execution and long‑term scalability.
Support system troubleshooting, root‑cause investigations, and scientific review of failures or anomalies encountered in development or experimental operations.
Align fusion nuclear science priorities with company strategy, program schedules, resource constraints, and commercialization goals in partnership with executive leadership.
 

Qualifications

• Education: PhD in Nuclear Science, Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics, or a closely related field.
• Experience: 12+ years of experience in analysis, simulation, experimental R&D, or technology development for complex nuclear or fusion systems under extreme thermal and radiation environments.
• Leadership: 6+ years in leadership of multidisciplinary scientific or R&D organizations.
• Deep experience with nuclear analysis tools (e.g., MCNP), multi‑physics simulation software (e.g., COMSOL, ANSYS), and reactor thermohydraulic codes (e.g., RELAP, MELCOR).
• Experience designing and executing experiments that raise component or system technology readiness.
• Proven record of mentoring and growing high-performing technical teams.
• Strong publication and scientific leadership record.
• Ability to operate effectively within a rapidly evolving organization transitioning from startup to industrial scale.
• Ability to balance hands‑on scientific leadership with high‑level strategic direction and organizational oversight.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Desired

Experience in fusion chamber research, blanket multi-physics, and tritium fuel cycle analysis.
Familiarity with fusion safety and regulatory requirements.
Experience in the commercial nuclear industry or fusion experimental facilities.
Knowledge of tritium handling systems, molten salt technologies.
Familiarity with fusion plant design and commercialization efforts.