Senior Integration Engineer - Nuclear Process

Thea Energy is building an economical and scalable fusion energy system utilizing arrays of mass manufacturable magnets and dynamic software controls. Commercial fusion energy can uniquely provide a abundant source of zero-emission power for a sustainable future. Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in computation and controls to reinvent the stellarator, a scientifically mature form of magnetic fusion technology. Thea Energy was founded in 2022 as a spin-out of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Princeton University, where the stellarator was originally invented. Thea Energy is currently designing its first integrated fusion system, Eos, based on its planar coil stellarator architecture which will produce fusion neutrons at scale and in steady-state.

Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a faster and simpler approach to commercializing fusion energy. The company is reinventing the stellarator using computer-controlled arrays of planar coils thereby replacing the intricate, complex modular magnets required in all other stellarator architectures. Thea Energy is on a mission to create a limitless source of zero emission energy for a sustainable future.  

 

We are looking for a Senior Integration Engineer - Nuclear Process to help define and integrate the process architecture of a first-of-a-kind fusion energy system. This role sits at the intersection of nuclear engineering, process engineering, and systems integration. You will develop process flows and system architecture connecting major plant systems, define system boundaries and interfaces, and work with engineering teams to translate the plant concept into an integrated, buildable system. The ideal candidate has strong process engineering fundamentals combined with nuclear systems experience, preferably in tritium processing and fusion fuel-cycle systems.

We are looking for a systems thinker who naturally asks how the process works as a complete system and what every neighboring system needs from it. You are comfortable working from incomplete information, identifying gaps, and bringing engineers from different disciplines together to resolve them.

It’s not necessary to meet all of the skillsets outlined above. Please feel free to send us a note and tell us why you would still be a great fit for this role or Thea Energy.  

  

Thea Energy is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a company of diverse backgrounds. By creating a diverse environment, we will bring new ideas and approaches to solving some of the world’s hardest (and most important) problems. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, family or marital status, age, disability, veteran’s status, or other characteristic protected by applicable laws and regulations.

Develop and maintain process flow diagrams (PFDs) and process architectures for nuclear and supporting plant systems.
•    Develop system-level mass and energy balances and define major process streams and operating conditions.
•    Establish system boundaries and identify, document, and manage interfaces between systems.
•    Translate plant-level functions into system and subsystem requirements.
•    Define process requirements for normal, startup, shutdown, maintenance, and abnormal operating modes.
•    Integrate process systems including fuel-cycle/tritium processing, vacuum, cooling, heat transport, utilities, and other supporting systems.
•    Work with mechanical, electrical, controls, nuclear, safety, and other engineering disciplines to resolve cross-functional technical issues.
•    Support development of P&IDs, equipment specifications, process requirements, and interface control documentation.
•    Identify process integration risks, dependencies, and opportunities for simplification.
•    Participate in design reviews, FMEA/HAZOP activities, safety analyses, and technical risk assessments.
•    Support control philosophies and operating strategies with controls and software engineers.
•    Support system integration, commissioning, and operational readiness activities.
•    Maintain configuration and technical consistency of process architecture as the design evolves.

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