Senior Manager, Equipment Engineering

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 nearly $3 billion in capital, making us the largest and leading private fusion company in the world.

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 Senior Manager, Equipment Engineering

The Manager of Equipment Engineering is a critical leadership role responsible for setting the strategic direction, managing the budget, and overseeing all aspects of the design, development, installation, commissioning, and sustaining operation of manufacturing equipment and tooling for high-temperature superconducting magnets. This role involves managing a diverse team of Equipment Engineers (Mechanical and Controls) and Equipment Specialists, ensuring high-level collaboration with Manufacturing, Facilities, and Senior Leadership, and driving the organization's long-term production scale-up strategy.

What you'll do

• Strategic Leadership & Resource Management
  • Define and drive the multi-year equipment roadmap and capital expenditure (CapEx) strategy for one of the main production lines, ensuring alignment with overall company manufacturing goals and output targets
  • Manage the departmental operating budget (OpEx), including planning, forecasting, and resource allocation for equipment maintenance, spare parts inventory, external vendors, and continuous improvement initiatives
  • Establish and enforce engineering standards and best practices for all phases of the equipment lifecycle (concept, design, build, commissioning, sustaining) to ensure high quality, reliability, and safety
  • Serve as the primary technical and managerial liaison between the Equipment Engineering team and cross-functional partners (Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Facilities, Quality) and senior leadership
• Team Management & Development
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of mechanical and controls equipment engineers and specialists, including setting performance goals, conducting regular reviews, managing compensation, and planning career development paths
  • Drive staffing strategy by identifying future organizational needs, recruiting, hiring, and onboarding top engineering talent
  • Oversee and delegate equipment development projects, ensuring all milestones, schedules, and resource requirements are clearly communicated and met across the portfolio of projects
• Engineering Oversight & Technical Excellence
  • Provide high-level technical direction and critical review on complex equipment designs, control system architectures, and manufacturing methods to ensure successful scale-up
  • Own the relationship and performance of key external vendors and job shops, ensuring contract compliance, quality of deliverables, and effective partnership for custom machinery production
  • Oversee the development of critical documentation and knowledge transfer, including operating manuals, standardized work instructions, and comprehensive troubleshooting guides for long-term sustaining use
  • Champion industrial safety standards (e.g., ANSI/OSHA compliance) within all equipment designs and operational procedures, prioritizing the mitigation of industrial hazards (heat, noise, high voltage, cryogenics, strong magnets)
  • Direct the selection and integration strategy for advanced automation components such as Robots, PLCs, VFDs, and vision systems into scaled manufacturing lines

What we're looking for

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years of progressive experience in equipment engineering, automation, or complex mechanical system design, ideally in high-volume or regulated manufacturing environments
• 3+ years of direct management experience leading an engineering team (including performance management, hiring, and budget oversight)
• Proven expertise in managing the full lifecycle of complex, custom-built capital equipment
• In-depth knowledge of control reliable safety systems and relevant standards
• Exceptional project and portfolio management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage significant CapEx/OpEx budgets.

Bonus points for

• Experience in a Greenfield or Brownfield manufacturing startup environment
• Working knowledge of thermal/mechanical design considerations for high-temperature superconducting magnets or similar complex electromechanical systems
• Expertise with advanced CAD modeling and drafting, including Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T). NX and Teamcenter experience is a plus
• Experience in Beckhoff and Beckhoff TwinCAT CNC controls platforms

Must-have requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs occasionally
• Perform activities such as typing, standing, stooping, and sitting, for extended periods of time
• Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, and cryogenics
• Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call

$150,000 - $225,000 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.

This role requires compliance with U.S. laws concerning the export of controlled or protected technologies or information (collectively, "Export Control Laws"). Any offer of employment will be contingent on the need for compliance with such Export Control Laws.