Software Engineer, AI CAD Workflow Automation

About the role

Focused Energy is seeking a Software Engineer II to join our team and build AI-assisted design workflows that help our mechanical and physical engineering teams turn complex requirements into design solutions and CAD drawings faster. Today, the mechanical engineering team relies on manual CAD creation for complex parts, a process that slows down design exploration and delays experimental iteration as we scale toward commercial fusion power. In this role, you will design, build, and deploy internal software tools and automated workflows that generate CAD and part drawings from complex physical and mechanical requirements over the next 6-18 months, you'll help establish the standards, runbooks, and training that allow mechanical engineers to safely and effectively use AI-generated CAD outputs, directly accelerating our design exploration speed as we move toward commercial-scale fusion. You will translate ambiguous hardware requirements into reliable automated pipelines, collaborate across engineering disciplines to ensure generated designs meet strict operational constraints, and systematically debug complex workflows that span CAD software integrations and data validation processes. This position is critical for enabling the mechanical engineering team to explore design spaces more rapidly while maintaining the rigor required for fusion energy systems. You will own the end-to-end delivery of maintainable software tools that convert scientific requirements into manufacturable CAD components.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design and build scalable, maintainable internal software tools and workflows that automate the generation of CAD and part drawings from complex requirements.
• Translate physical and mechanical requirements into clear software designs, parametric CAD scripts, and automated design workflows.
• Teach mechanical and hardware engineers how to intake requirements and iterate on design solutions using AI-assisted CAD workflows.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineering, software, and systems engineering teams to ensure generated CAD drawings meet strict physical and operational constraints.
• Establish standards and runbooks to help mechanical engineers review and validate AI-generated CAD outputs before manufacturing.
• Systematically debug and troubleshoot complex workflows across system boundaries, including CAD software integrations and data pipelines.
• Implement automation scripts and agentic frameworks that reduce manual effort in generating and iterating on design solutions.
• Write clear technical runbooks, usage guides, and training material for technical users to adopt new CAD automation tools.
• Partner with systems engineering to ensure that generated components satisfy safety margins, regulatory requirements, and operational limits.
• Support the integration of new CAD capabilities into existing development pipelines and testing frameworks.
• Evaluate and prototype new CAD software APIs and geometric processing tools to improve automation and design fidelity.
• Contribute to internal design libraries and reusable workflow components that accelerate future projects.
• Analyze workflow bottlenecks and propose tooling improvements that streamline the path from requirements to manufacturable drawings.
• Participate in code reviews, documentation efforts, and cross-functional design discussions to maintain high standards for software quality.

Requirements

• Experience as an independent software engineer who can design, build, and deploy maintainable services, tools, or software components.
• Experience writing scripts or software that interacts with CAD systems, mechanical design tools, or parametric design APIs.
• Hands-on experience implementing AI-assisted workflows, automation scripts, or agentic frameworks.
• Write clear technical runbooks, usage guides, and training material for technical users.
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python or C++ and familiarity with CAD software APIs (such as SolidWorks, Onshape, or AutoCAD).
• Solid understanding of parametric CAD, 3D modeling, part drawings, and mechanical requirements translation.
• Communicate clearly and collaborate effectively with mechanical engineers, software teams, and scientific partners.
• Comfortable in high-ambiguity environments where priorities and hardware requirements can evolve.
• Strong respect for safety and engineering review processes when using AI-generated designs.

Nice to have

• Preferred: experience in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, physical modeling, aerospace, target fabrication, or nuclear fusion design.
• Preferred: experience building developer productivity tools, CI/CD systems, or automated testing infrastructure for scientific or design workflows.
• Preferred: experience with advanced CAD scripting, geometric processing, or automated design generation APIs.

Practical notes

-

Location: Austin, TX

-

Engagement: Full-time

• No specific hours, travel, visa, or deadlines stated in SOURCE.

Length: 832 words