Scientist – Boundary Digital Twin

Job Description

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is on a mission to deliver the urgent transition to fusion energy.

Combining decades of research, top talent and new technologies, we’re designing and building commercially viable fusion power plants. And working with policymakers and suppliers to build the energy industry of the future.

We’re in the best position to make it happen. Since 2018, we’ve raised over $2 billion in capital – more than any other fusion energy company in the U.S.

Now we’re looking for more thinkers, doers, builders, and makers to join us. People who’ll bring new perspectives, solve tough problems, and thrive as part of a team.

If that’s you and this role fits, we want to hear from you.

Join the power movement as a Scientist – Boundary Digital Twin

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is building the SPARC tokamak, which aims to be the first magnetic confinement device to achieve net energy and is predicted to operate with an energy gain up to 11, producing up to 140 MW of fusion power. While the high performance of SPARC is critical to demonstrate fusion as a commercially viable energy source, it also results in incredible heat and particle fluxes to the plasma facing components (PFCs). Mitigating these heat and particle loads will not only require advanced physics and engineering models across a wide variety of domains, but will also require computational workflows that are capable of connecting these models to real experimental data for on-the-fly updates. To address this challenge the boundary physics team at CFS is developing a Boundary Digital Twin (BDT) framework. The BDT will be used for scenario planning, for design, and for operations by the boundary operators in the SPARC control room.

The BDT is a modular framework capable of linking predictive models, synthetic diagnostics, inverse models, data analytics, 3D engineering models, as built metrology data, data visualization, and more, to the experimental data generated during SPARC pulses. These workflows bridge the gap between many domains of physics and engineering, and as such CFS is searching for technical experts capable of working at the intersection of multiple disciplines. Depending upon the background and experience, both engineers and physicists may be qualified for this position. The Scientist - Boundary Digital Twin will work with a team of experts to develop the BDT framework, and then to apply this framework during SPARC operations to achieve SPARC’s mission.

What you'll do

• Work with other members of the CFS physics team to build predictive models for tokamak power exhaust and particle control and implement them into the BDT
• Use the HEAT code to predict the heat and particle loads on 3D plasma facing components
• Work with the SPARC Diagnostics team to build synthetic diagnostic models for thermocouples, visible cameras, IR cameras, bolometry, and spectroscopy
• Build plasma parameter reconstruction workflows using diagnostic signals as inputs (ie energy balance from thermocouples)
• Serve as a SPARC boundary operator during operations, employing the BDT and other SPARC software tools to protect the PFCs and achieve maximum performance
• Maintain the BDT codes and docker containers using software best practices (revision control, CI, etc.)
• Develop scientific data visualization workflows
• Develop render engine algorithms to visualize complex 3D datasets with low latency
• Work with the engineering teams to combine metrology data from multiple sources (Keyence, laser scans, touch tests) with CAD models to generate as built models of ~30k SPARC PFCs and other components
• Work with the materials team to validate the BDT engineering and material models (ie stress, recrystallization, etc.) against materials tests performed at collaborator facilities or in house
• Manage external collaborations with national labs and academic institutions

What we’re looking for

• Bachelor’s in physics, engineering, or computer science
• Experience in plasma physics or engineering related to digital twins
• Strong track record coding in Python
• Experience with scientific projects and data
• Tokamak power exhaust and particle control experience
• Experience using HEAT in a tokamak experimental context
• Tokamak diagnostic model development experience
• Tokamak control room experience
• Experience with render engine development (ie Unreal, Unity, Mitsuba3, Raysect, etc.)
• Experience developing docker containers
• Revision control experience using git
• Experience using Plotly
• Engineering analysis experience with ANSYS, COMSOL, OpenFOAM, or Elmer FEM
• Experience working with engineering metrology data (ie keyence, laser scans, etc)
• Material characterization and testing experience
• Ability to efficiently communicate progress and results to other scientists and engineers
• Ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to port knowledge in one domain of engineering or physics to another
• Ability to manage scientific collaborations
• Ability to track tasks using metric

Bonus points for

• Masters or PhD in plasma physics or a related engineering field

Must-have Requirements

• Perform activities such as typing and sitting for extended periods of time
• Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call regularly
• 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

$80,000 - $180,000 a year

Salary range for this full-time position + equity + benefits. The actual salary will depend on level, location, qualifications, and experience. The range displayed on each job posting reflects new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Benefits include:

• Competitive compensation with equity
• 12.5 Company-wide Holidays
• Flexible vacation days
• 10 sick days
• Generous parental leave policy
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Professional growth opportunities
• Team-building activities

At CFS, we excel in fast-paced environments, driven by our values of integrity, execution, impact, and self-critique. As we grow, we’re eager to bring on mission-driven folks who offer diverse perspectives and fresh ways to tackle challenges.

We value diversity deeply and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally, regardless 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.