High Integrity Systems Lead Engineer

Number of employees

190

Devens, MA, United States

Posted on: 2022-06-15

Category: renewables

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Expired

Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy. 

CFS is collaborating with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with new groundbreaking high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. 

The mission is to deploy fusion power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. 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. 

If you are interested in joining our team, check out cfs.energy/careers for more information.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy.

CFS is collaborating with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with new groundbreaking high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. The mission is to deploy fusion power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. 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 execute this plan, we are looking to add talented people to the team who are mission-driven and treat people well, improve our team by adding diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems, have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits, and have skill sets and experience that relate to this role.

Operating the SPARC tokamak requires currents in MA, voltages in the kV, power in MW, magnetic energy in GJ, steel at temperatures of hundreds of degrees Celsius and control loops in kHz. The SPARC instrumentation and control team are seeking an experienced engineer with demonstrated experience designing and implementing safety and protection systems to lead the design and implementation of the SPARC’s high integrity systems, in collaboration with the wider SPARC team.

This role will be to ensure the safe and effective operation of SPARC through identification and implementation of automated safety and protection functions. You will first develop a deep understanding of the SPARC facility, tokamak and plant systems. You will then devise and document the functions that will protect people, the environment and SPARC in all operating modes and environments. You will work closely with operators, plant systems owners, plasma physicists, safety officers, radiation analysts, I&C engineers and software developers to implement and test all aspects of the safety, access control and machine protection systems. Key systems you will work with include power systems, cryogenics, high-power radio-frequency heating, laser diagnostics, tritium processing, superconducting magnets, plasma control and diagnostics.

This role may be known in other industries as functional safety engineer, fault protection engineer, interlocks engineer or safety system engineer.

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.

This team member will:

  • Design, implement, test and maintain the safety, access control and machine protection systems
  • Lead the identification and specification of all safety, interlock and protection functions required throughout the SPARC facility 
  • Work with the I&C team and SPARC system owners to ensure the desired safety functions of all systems have been identified and included in the appropriate SPARC I&C subsystems
  • Define the safety and access control system architecture to include the functions necessary to protect people and the environment in the vicinity of the SPARC facility
  • Define the MPS architecture to include the functions necessary to protect SPARC and its key systems such as the superconducting magnets and power systems.
  • Produce or supervise production of functional and performance specifications for all parts of the safety, access control and machine protection systems
  • Define the quality assurance process so safety, access control and machine protection systems can be relied upon to protect people and the environment and achieve the mission goals on an accelerated schedule
  • Produce the required design deliverables that demonstrate on-going progress of safety, access control and machine protection systems development
  • Produce verification and validation, testing, installation, commissioning, operations and maintenance procedures for the safety, access control and machine protection systems
  • Work with SPARC procurement to manage suppliers of components and integrated subsystems for the safety, access control and machine protection systems
  • Produce the framework and tools necessary to develop the safety, access control and machine protection systems
  • Report on and be accountable for progress to the head of I&C
  • Supervisory responsibilities include the machine protection system engineer and safety and access control system engineer
  • The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of these requirements:

  • Several years (5+) of experience in functional safety, mission critical, safety and protection systems or similar
  • Designed, built and operated control systems with safety and protections functions from concept to completion under a QA program
  • Current best practices and emerging technologies in industrial control systems
  • Practical application of IEEE and IEC standards to design solutions, including functional safety standards such as IEC 61508
  • Requirements gathering, function definition and decomposition, control system architectures and functional assignment
  • Methods of identifying hazardous failures such as FMECA and HAZOPS
  • System testing, integration, commissioning and validation
  • Production of engineering deliverables for design reviews, construction work packages, commissioning, operations and maintenance
  • Functional modelling language such as UML, GRAFCET, SDL or similar
  • Additional experience and/or qualifications:

  • Experience with growing and leading a team
  • Have led or contributed to the design of government-funded research facilities that require safety-significant structures, systems and components
  • Accelerators or other facilities using superconducting magnets with high stored energy
  • Industrial plant facilities (power plants, manufacturing centers, etc) 
  • High voltage, high power RF, cryogenics and hazardous, explosive and poisonous gases
  • Experience in a demanding yet exhilarating work environment
  • Experience with any of the following : Trapped key interlock systems such Castell, Fortress or Kirk, Siemens SIMATIC S7, AVEVA Engineering or similar
  • Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs
  • Perform activities such as stooping, climbing, typing, standing, sitting, etc. for extended periods of time
  • Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards that may include heat, cold, and noise
  • Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call
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