Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy.
CFS collaborates with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with groundbreaking new high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. Our mission is to deploy these power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. To that end, CFS has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution. Supported by the world’s leading investors, CFS is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change. To implement this plan, we are looking to add dedicated people to the team who treat people well, improve our work by adding multifaceted perspectives and new ways of solving problems, have achieved outstanding results through a range of pursuits, and have skills and experience related to this role.
The SPARC Software team seeks an exceptional software engineer to be a member of the Algorithms & Simulation group. This team is responsible for high-level tokamak orchestration, collaborating with fusion scientists to develop real-time plasma control algorithms, hardware-in-the-loop testbeds and simulation infrastructure necessary for validation, and develop other safety-critical control software that runs the SPARC tokamak and plant. SPARC senses thousands of physical measurements while controlling millions of amps to superconducting magnets and millions of watts of RF power to the plasma. These closed-loop systems must control at rates substantially greater than 1 kHz and must sample some parameters in the MHz range. The technology platforms involved include real-time Linux, bare-metal microcontrollers, FPGAs, and industrial PLCs. The testbeds and simulation environments must be able to validate software across all these platforms. The team will be responsible for both Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) and software-only testbeds. Specific infrastructure you will help develop may include software for test orchestration, deployment to testbeds, evaluation of test success, and automatic integration into continuous integration systems. The team will also develop models or model infrastructure for both real-time simulation (e.g. for HITL or operator training) or offline analysis (e.g. for high-fidelity algorithm development). Finally, the team will work with other software and engineering teams to define end-to-end and other integrated test cases and test plans to validate overall SPARC control software and ensure its adherence to design requirements.
This team member will:
- Develop safety-critical tokamak control software
- Develop software infrastructure to operate Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) and software-only testbeds
- Develop simulation models and model infrastructure for both real-time and off-line (high fidelity) simulations
- Develop offline data analysis tools
- Help define and execute end-to-end and other integrated test cases and test plans to validate SPARC control software
- Work with hardware engineers to integrate/validate new components
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of these requirements:
- Engineering degree in related field, such as computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, etc.
- Experience in developing software in python, C++, or similar languages
- Experience in developing simulations to test embedded and real-time software
- Experience in working on and developing infrastructure for Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testbeds and software-only testbeds
- Experience with modern continuous integration and continuous deployment tools
Additional preferred experience and/or qualifications:
- Experience in validating software for safety-critical applications
- Experience with validating industrial control software
- Experience with developing physics based software models
- Python, C++, or similar languages
- Linux development
- Microcontroller or FPGA development
- Networking (IP/UDP/TCP)
- Software/hardware interfaces (ADCs/DACs, uarts, ethernet, etc.)
- Simulation hardware platforms (e.g. PXI)
- Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs
- Perform activities such as typing for extended periods of time
- Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally
- Work in a facility that contains industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics
- #LI-Hybrid
CFS team members thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits. We all tightly align with our company values of integrity, execution, impact and self-critique. As we grow, we are looking to add talented people who are mission driven and bring diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems.
At CFS, we deeply value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.
