Computational Materials Scientist

Overview

About Commonwealth Fusion Systems:
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is on a mission to deliver the urgent transition to fusion energy. We are designing and building commercially viable fusion power plants, working with policymakers and suppliers to build the energy industry of the future. Since 2018, we have raised nearly $3 billion in capital, making us the largest private fusion company in the world. We’re looking for thinkers, doers, builders, and makers to join us.

If this fits, we want to hear from you.

Join the power movement as a Computational Materials Scientist

The Materials and Processing (M&P) Department supports design engineers, supply chain, and manufacturing by selecting materials, unambiguously defining materials and processing routes, validating and measuring materials and their properties, and conducting R&D to develop new materials and processes to enable fusion power deployment. M&P is organized around three thrusts: engineering, test and characterization, and development programs. The work supports delivering SPARC, the net energy tokamak under construction in Devens, MA, and designing the ARC fusion power plant.

These devices present materials challenges including neutron fluxes from deuterium-tritium fusion, high heat loads, molten salt coolant systems, complex component topologies, high magnetic fields, and high mechanical loading in cryogenic conditions.

To support this mission, the CFS Materials Department seeks a Computational Materials Engineer with expertise in process-structure-properties relationships, physics-informed modeling, and materials in extreme environments. The ideal candidate has a background in computational materials simulation methods and materials science and/or physical chemistry. The responsibilities include physics-based modeling, synthetic data generation, and first-principles modeling to support material development. They will collaborate with engineers and experts to identify high-sensitivity parameters and prioritize experiments for greatest impact in reducing uncertainty.

• Use and build computational toolsets to generate predicted material properties in extreme environments (temperature, radiation, magnetic field) with uncertainty bounds informed by physical mechanisms
• Collaborate with design and analysis engineers to develop material design curves methodology capable of determining statistically significant minimum properties for tokamak applications (e.g., low and high cycle fatigue, dielectric breakdown, radiation effects)
• Identify gaps in knowledge and experimental capability that can be filled via simulation or model building
• Assist in benchmarking and creating metrics for material property variability and sources of variability in manufacturing processes
• Collaborate with other M&P Engineers to create workflows for data capture, storage, visualization, and analysis in the materials domain
• Support writing materials standard specifications
• Stay current with evolving technology and modeling techniques

• MS in Materials Science Engineering, Applied Physics, Physical Chemistry, or related field
• Minimum of 3+ years of experience in experimental or computational materials science
• Implementation and/or authorship of codes for calculation and analyses of material properties
• Experience building predictive models for material properties in extreme environments
• Validation of models with experimental data or physical mechanism bounds
• Process failure modes or mechanism-driven hypothesis formulation and experimental design
• Understanding of process-structure-properties-performance principles and mechanisms in extreme environments
• Understanding of underlying models enabling materials simulation methods across length scales (atomistic, molecular dynamics, DFT, Monte Carlo, phase field, crystal plasticity, dislocation dynamics, computational thermodynamics)
• Awareness of uncertainty sensitivity in model inputs and outputs
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively cross-functionally
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple projects
• Ability to break down complex problems into deliverables that add value

• Experience with ICME tools and across length scales
• Ability to present complex quantitative data clearly and concisely
• Experience making decisions in fast-paced engineering settings
• Strong written and verbal communication with technical teams
• Ability to take under-defined problems to completion
• Experience operating in a flexible, service-oriented engineering domain

• Ability to perform activities such as typing or sitting for extended periods of time
• Work in a facility with hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics
• Willingness to travel or work nights/weekends/on-call occasionally

$90,000 - $145,000 a year

Salary range for this full-time position plus equity and benefits. The actual salary depends on level, location,…