Materials Engineer

About Us

About Us:

Established in 2002, General Fusion is a global leader in the race to commercialize clean fusion energy. We are pursuing a uniquely practical approach, Magnetized Target Fusion, and aim to provide zero-carbon fusion power to the grid in the early to mid-2030s. Today at our state-of-the-art labs in Richmond, BC, we’re operating a groundbreaking fusion demonstration machine called Lawson Machine 26 (LM26), designed to achieve transformational technical milestones and accelerate General Fusion’s technology to commercialization.

Our path to market is funded by a global syndicate of leading energy venture capital firms, industry leaders, and technology pioneers. Learn more at

Position Overview
The Material Engineer will be responsible for leading the technical success of all things related to material science in support of General Fusion’s LM26 project. The successful applicant will be expected to hit the ground running and thrive in a hands-on, fast-paced, and constantly evolving work environment. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated Materials Engineer looking for diverse and challenging work where ideas quickly become prototypes and machines used by General Fusion to develop practical fusion energy solutions.

Responsibilities

Investigate relationships between material structure and performance in lithium in extreme operating conditions.

Make recommendations for material structure / design that will improve outcomes in the extreme operating conditions.

Make recommendations to improve General Fusion’s lithium liner production process to consistently achieve recommended material conditions

Provide materials science expertise to support the design, operation, and optimization of test beds, liner production equipment, and experimental machines.

Collaborate with engineers, physicists, and technicians to improve test bed performance and reliability

Conduct metallurgical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical testing to validate material, performance, system performance, and material models.

Perform failure analysis and material characterization using a range of analytical and experimental techniques

Apply microscopy, spectroscopy, and other optical analysis methods to understand material behavior

Coordinate with external laboratories for specialized testing not available in-house

Analyze casting behavior and material performance using simulation tools

Perform basic mechanical design, fabrication, and assembly as needed

Develop and maintain documentation, including design details, test plans, and experimental results

Respond quickly to evolving requirements and troubleshoot issues to maintain system uptime

Contribute to team development through knowledge sharing, active participation in project meetings, and process improvement initiatives

Promote a positive work environment while championing safe work practices

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Engineering Physics (materials focus preferred)

Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in applied materials engineering

Strong foundation in engineering and physics principles, with demonstrated practical application

Proven experience with metal processing methods, including casting, cold working, hot working,machining. Specific experience with lithium or other alkali metals is an asset.

Strong understanding of solidification theory (grain structure, segregation, phase transformations)

Experience with manufacturing and performance characterization of fiberglass composites

Strong mechanical aptitude and hands-on experience with prototyping, testing, and iterative development

Experience working with materials in high dynamic strain is an asset

Experience working on novel problems with limited prior art, requiring innovative solutions

Solid understanding of materials and fabrication processes

Data analysis using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools

Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-changing environments and communicate trade-offs clearly

Comfortable with sudden change and can pivot quickly

Proven ability to adapt scope and deliver results under aggressive timelines

Working knowledge of…