Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy.
CFS collaborates with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with groundbreaking new high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. Our mission is to deploy these power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. To that end, CFS has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution. Supported by the world’s leading investors, CFS is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change. To implement this plan, we are looking to add dedicated people to the team who treat people well, improve our work by adding multifaceted perspectives and new ways of solving problems, have achieved outstanding results through a range of pursuits, and have skills and experience related to this role.
The SPARC diagnostic team will be developing nearly 40 types of measurements that will be used in real-time control of tokamak plasmas and to inform the design of ARC. Our measurement systems include magnetics, interferometry, neutral pressure, x-ray to visible spectroscopy, camera imaging, bolometry, neutrons, Thomson scattering, electron cyclotron emission, reflectometry, Langmuir probes and structural temperature and strain sensing. While nearly all have completed conceptual design, CFS is looking to grow the SPARC team in order be confident that final designs can accomplish SPARC’s mission goals. For this, we need your help with developing numerical modeling and a software set of tools, that act as predictive digital twins of diagnostics sub-systems and sensors (i.e., synthetic diagnostics sets). These software components combine bench top testing of sensors with plasma simulations from the SPARC physics team to characterize the measurement signals that a real diagnostic would produce. Near-term it will help the diagnostic team iterate on design. During SPARC operations, contributions will be used in software tools for pre-shot planning, real-time plasma control and inter-shot analysis, and in design scoping and optimization for ARC diagnostics.
You will add to a growing, integrated diagnostic team along with MIT-PSFC partners and fusion community collaborators from around the world. CFS is looking to build a diverse team to meet our mission goals and encourages applications from existing fusion community members, recent graduates with skills demonstrated through internships or research projects and those interested in cross-industry career changers.
This team member will:
- Work with Diagnostic System Owners to develop ‘digital twins’ or ‘synthetic diagnostics’ for SPARC diagnostic systems, leveraging existing open-source software from the fusion community
- Assist in the prototype testing and benchtop calibration of diagnostics to inform and validate models
- Integrate diagnostic models with the outputs of plasma simulations provided by the SPARC’s physics team to help ensure diagnostic designs will be sufficient to achieve SPARC’s mission goals
- Work with the SPARC tokamak operations and plasma control teams to integrate diagnostic models into workflows for pre-shot planning, real-time plasma control and post-shot interpretation
- Participate in the commissioning and operation of diagnostic systems that balances learning how to operate SPARC with obtaining physics results as quickly as possible
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of these requirements:
- B.S./M.Sc. in a science or engineering field, with knowledge in a software field
- Used Python, MATLAB, C++, or similar, to model the real-world behavior of a complex system such as a sensor array, robot or actuator in a reaction process.
- Developed a design from concept to reality, which required successful integration of instrumentation (in either during a course project, internship of day-to-day job)
- Ability to succeed at self-directed work as well as in a team
- Curiosity and drive to expand your skillset by learning from experts in fusion
Additional experience and/or qualifications:
- Contributed to or used open-source code packages of similar complexity to tools developed for plasma diagnostics (Cherab, Calcam, tofu)
- Hands-on experience with sensors similar to those that may be used in plasma diagnostics (cameras, temperature, strain, radiation, spectrometers, lasers, microwaves)
- Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs
- Perform activities such as typing, standing, sitting, and being in confined space (i.e. inside the tokamak) for extended periods of time
- Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards that may include noise
- Willing to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call
- #LI-Hybrid
CFS team members thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits. We all tightly align with our company values of integrity, execution, impact and self-critique. As we grow, we are looking to add talented people who are mission driven and bring diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems.
At CFS, we deeply value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.
