Senior Tooling Engineer

Overview

Why This Role Matters:
The Senior Tooling Engineer will design, analyze, and procure custom handling equipment for lifting, in-factory movement and overland transportation of Pacific Fusion’s large custom hardware. You will leverage expertise in heavy lifts, specialty rigging, and in-factory movement to create innovative designs addressing unique installation and transportation challenges on rapid timelines across multiple locations. You will collaborate with engineers, production employees, and scientists to optimize equipment designs for safety, efficiency, and cost as we bring our demonstration system online.

This role is onsite at our Los Lunas, New Mexico facility.

• Design, analyze, and procure a broad range of lifting and transportation fixtures and handling equipment for specialty hardware.
• Work closely with relevant engineers to meet strict technical and operational requirements.
• Apply industry standards and relevant regulations to implement best practices for future designs and improve existing designs.
• Review all lift and transport fixture designs for structural integrity under dynamic and static loading.
• Create and/or review detailed CAD models, FEA, and mechanical fabrication drawings of all custom fixtures and handling equipment.
• Document equipment testing requirements and findings to optimize the next revision of designs.
• Mentor a larger design engineering workforce on lift and transport fixture best practices.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Civil Engineering, with a Structural focus, or a Master’s degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience designing and analyzing lift, transportation, and handling fixtures for large hardware with a proven track record of rigor, creative problem solving, and success.
• Deep knowledge of rigging equipment, lifting techniques, load path analysis, and safety standards (e.g., ASME B30 series, OSHA 1926).
• Expertise in design and analysis (structural and FEA) of custom lift, transportation, and handling fixtures for large and heavy hardware.
• Expertise in a variety of cranes (bridge, gantry, mobile, etc.), forklifts, below-the-hook lift fixtures.
• Experience in road-transport vehicle options, custom road-transport container/fixtures, and permitting requirements for oversized loads.
• Proficiency in CAD to create detailed design drawings and FEA.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Strong communication, documentation, and organizational skills.

• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Design for lift fixtures in nuclear facilities, including remotely connected and operated lift fixtures.
• Experience integrating hydraulic and/or motorized systems into fixture designs to precisely align large and heavy hardware.
• Experience in designing end-of-arm manipulator systems for robotic applications.
• Experience working in industries such as nuclear, energy, aerospace, and/or construction.