Role
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is hiring a Staff Scientist - Plasma Material Interaction to predict how plasma-facing components in SPARC and ARC degrade under plasma and neutron loading. Based in the Plasma Physics Department with designated contacts in Materials Science and Nuclear Engineering, the scientist links plasma, engineering, neutronics and materials models to guide component design for ARC, a planned 400 MWe fusion power plant.
Responsibilities: Build computational workflows that predict material degradation from plasma loading and neutron irradiation, and its effect on plasma performance. Run models that support ARC material lifetime estimates, component shaping and overload assessments. Lead test campaigns at plasma-material, heat-load and irradiation facilities worldwide, benchmark models against SPARC deuterium-tritium data, manage outside research collaborations, and publish and present results.
Requirements: A PhD or equivalent in plasma physics, materials science, nuclear engineering or a related field, with demonstrated research in plasma-material interactions. Working knowledge of these interactions in magnetically confined plasmas and of multiscale material evolution under plasma or neutron loading. Experience with at least two of: ion energy-angle distribution, binary collision approximation, cluster dynamics or rate theory, and finite-element calculations. Test-campaign experience at plasma-material exposure devices or high-heat-flux facilities, Python, C++ or similar, version control, HPC and strong technical writing are also required.
Preferred experience: PMI codes such as ERO2.0, WallDYN, FESTIM or HEAT; boundary plasma physics and edge transport codes; irradiation campaigns and post-irradiation examination; materials characterization; irradiation damage metrics; tungsten metallurgy and degradation; coupled multi-code workflows; and containerized codes.
Working arrangements: The role includes occasional travel and occasional night, weekend or on-call work, in a facility with industrial hazards including strong magnets, high voltage and cryogenics. Any offer depends on compliance with U.S. export-control laws.
Snapshot
| Employer | Commonwealth Fusion Systems |
| Workplace | Devens, Massachusetts, US |
| Onsite | Onsite |
| Employment type | Full-time |
| Salary | $130,000–$200,000 a year |
| Date posted | 2026-09-18 |
| Expires | — |
| Verified | 2026-10-06 |
Sources & verification
The original publication date is exactly as posted on the employer ATS — no substitutions. The links below are the same ATS pages we used to verify this listing; the dates come from when we last checked them.
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