Principal Chemical Engineer

Commonwealth Fusion Systems - Devens, MA

Full-time - Mid Level

Devens, MA

Utilities

About the position

The Principal Chemical Engineer will lead the development of chemistry control and salt purification systems for the Blanket System team at Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). This role is crucial in advancing the technical readiness of new enabling technologies for fusion energy, specifically focusing on molten salt chemistry and its applications in fusion power plants. The engineer will collaborate with internal teams and external partners to achieve ambitious technical targets while ensuring safety and compliance with export control laws.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and test chemistry control technologies for molten salt, focusing on hydrogen behavior and redox control.
• Scale-up benchtop-level processes to power-plant-relevant quantities of salt.
• Own technology selection and development for key chemical processes related to the salt blanket, including salt production, purification, enrichment, online chemistry control, and tritium extraction.
• Identify, communicate, and manage risks associated with large-scale salt chemical processing.
• Develop hardware testing strategies to quantify and mitigate key risks.
• Act as a technical expert providing input on salt processing both internally and externally.
• Collaborate with the Supply Chain team to manage the development of external supply chains for molten salts.
• Work with the Safety team to manage chemical hazards in experimental test articles.
• Coordinate with the ARC Design Team.

Requirements

• BS in Chemical, Mechanical, or Nuclear Engineering or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in engineering integrated thermofluid and chemical processing systems from conceptual design through commissioning.
• Experience with R&D hardware development.
• Experience with scale-up of novel chemical processes.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to manage vendors at their sites.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, and technical staff.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a creative approach to new challenges.

Nice-to-haves

• MS or PhD in Chemical, Mechanical, or Nuclear Engineering or a related field.
• Experience with high temperature systems and/or molten salt systems, especially molten fluorides.
• Experience with corrosive or extreme environment processes.
• Familiarity with Front-End-Loading (FEL) engineering design cycle or equivalent.
• Experience working in facilities with industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance bonuses.
• Health insurance coverage.
• 401k retirement savings plan with matching contributions.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development and continued education.