Fusion Island Power Cycle Lead

About the role

The role provides system oversight from concept to detailed design, licensing, construction, and commissioning for the Fusion Island power cycle. It leads multidisciplinary teams through complex design decisions to deliver integrated and safe reactor plant solutions. The position translates high-level requirements into coherent system architectures while ensuring alignment with project objectives and regulatory frameworks. It owns the technical trade studies and facilitates decision pathways that balance performance, safety, and schedule. The hire acts as the primary technical authority for the power cycle, interfacing with broader project stakeholders to maintain design integrity. This role drives the synthesis of thermal-hydraulic, mechanical, and instrumentation strategies into a unified plant solution. Effective communication is essential to convey intricate engineering choices to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Key facts

What you'll do

Define the overall power cycle architecture, establishing configuration, major parameters, and the fundamental safety approach that guides downstream activities.

Own the development and control of design schedules and cost discipline while preserving design integrity through rigorous change management processes.

Lead multidisciplinary teams in the detailed design of the power cycle, coordinating efforts across thermal-hydraulics, mechanical systems, and instrumentation and control.

Perform in-depth analysis of fluid dynamics and thermal-hydraulic behavior, applying advanced CFD tools to validate designs and resolve complex interactions.

Develop and apply safety analysis principles and design basis frameworks to ensure robust engineering solutions that meet project and regulatory requirements.

Evaluate system behavior through the integration of nuclear reactor physics, thermodynamic cycles, thermal-hydraulics, mechanical analyses, and I&C strategies.

Manage requirements, RAMI, licensing, documentation and control, project scheduling, and related engineering workflows to ensure strict alignment with project targets.

Champion the integration of cooling, thermodynamics, and primary heat exchange systems for a fusion reactor island, ensuring coherence across subsystems.

Leverage specialized engineering tools and methods to model performance, verify compliance with standards, and support continuous improvement.

Bring relevant experience in fusion reactor technology and licensing to accelerate design validation and streamline approval activities.

Requirements

An M. Sc. in nuclear engineering or aerospace engineering is required as the baseline qualification for this role.

A minimum of 5 years of professional experience is required, with at least 2 years leading multidisciplinary technical teams.

Deep knowledge of fluid dynamics is required to analyze and design complex flow regimes within the power cycle.

Advanced experience specifically in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is required to perform analysis and support design decisions.

Strong background in thermal-hydraulics and safety analyses principles is required to define reliable and defendable engineering solutions.

Understanding of nuclear reactor physics and thermodynamic cycles is required to evaluate system behavior and performance.

Knowledge of mechanical analyses and I&C considerations is required to assess system integration and operational stability.

Ability to manage requirements, RAMI, licensing, documentation and control, project scheduling, and related engineering workflows is essential.

Candidates must demonstrate the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams through complex design decisions in a structured and rigorous manner.

Nice to have

Relevant experience in fusion reactor technology and licensing is an advantage for this role.

Practical notes

This role requires deep engineering expertise in nuclear or aerospace disciplines, with demonstrated leadership of technical teams. The position involves system integration across cooling, thermodynamics, and primary heat exchange for a fusion reactor island.

Typical interview steps

Hiring for engineering roles usually starts with a recruiter screen, followed by one or two technical rounds. Candidates often solve a coding problem, discuss past projects, and answer system design questions. Some loops include a take-home task. Final rounds typically cover team fit and give candidates a chance to ask questions. Interviewers look for how you break down an unfamiliar problem, not just whether you reach the answer. Practicing a few problems aloud and reviewing your own past projects are the best preparation.

Good to know

Work in this area focuses on advanced energy systems that rely on fluid flow, heat transfer, and safety analysis. Professionals use specialized engineering tools to model performance and verify compliance with standards. Roles of this type typically involve close collaboration across disciplines in fast-paced development environments. Guidance and expectations are clarified through direct communication with technical leadership. Mastery of relevant software and methods supports reliable design execution and continuous improvement.