Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 with the mission to power the world with abundant, affordable, clean energy.
We are rapidly designing and building a pulser-driven inertial fusion system to achieve net facility gain (more fusion energy output than stored energy input). In parallel, we are developing the key components required to build affordable fusion systems.
Our plans are ambitious. We have raised over $900M so far from incredible investors, resourcing us to deliver on these plans. We are bringing together the best scientists, engineers, and operators from the fusion community, hard tech industry, and other sectors. We are united by a shared sense of urgency to provide clean power for the world, particularly managing climate change while meeting growing global energy demand. You can read more about us in this letter from our founders.
The Manufacturing Engineer is responsible for evaluating current manual processes and making them more efficient, robust and reliable through improved instructions, tooling or implementing automation solutions. This role is ideal for someone with strong factory-floor instincts, who understands how to build things at rate and with an eye towards economics based automation in the real world—not just on paper—and who thrives in a fast-moving, build-focused environment. In this role your work will optimize processes and enable production employees, engineers and scientists across the organization as they bring our demonstration system online.
What You'll Do- Set-up and analyze manufacturing processes to identify assembly sequence and tooling improvements as well as automation opportunities that reduce labor and increase throughput, capacity, capability, and yield
- Collaborate with design engineering to influence product DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturability/Automation) to ease automation integration
- Design and develop tools that aid in error free assembly, improve safety and quality
- Write and or edit electronic work instructions for repetitive assembly steps to document the best known practices, incorporate inspection steps to verify quality, document traceability and data collection steps as needed
- Specify, source, and deploy off-the-shelf or custom automation equipment including conveyors, actuators, robotics, inspection stations, and tooling
- Write and maintain documentation for equipment setup, operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance
- Support process development and initial production, with a focus on root cause analysis and continuous improvement
- Facilitate change management on the facility floor; including manufacturing validation
- Partner closely with area managers, manufacturing technicians, mechanical engineers, and quality to ensure equipment performance aligns with production goals
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related equivalent experience in this field
- 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering or automation in a relatable production environment
- Hands-on experience developing and integrating automation equipment, including mechanical and control systems (pneumatics, motion control, sensors)
- Experience with robotic arms (e.g., UR, Fanuc, ABB), end-of-arm tooling, and collaborative automation
- Strong CAD proficiency (e.g., PTC Creo) and ability to design tooling and fixturing
- Demonstrated capability with PLCs, industrial communication protocols, and control systems (e.g., Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Beckhoff, etc.)
- Solid understanding of process validation, process capability, and yield improvement methodologies and dashboard reporting showing system health
- Experience managing external automation integrators or machine builders
- Familiarity with MES, SCADA, or factory data collection tools
- Comfortable operating in an evolving, ambiguous, and cross-functional startup environment
- Background in electromechanical product assembly or electronics manufacturing.
- Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems.
- Familiarity with datavis tools and visual factory concepts that use dashboards, IoT data, and visual tools to display real-time facility performance.
- Proficiency with Twincat, Python or similar scripting languages for automation/data acquisition.
Industry-competitive salary
Equity plan
6% employer 401k matching
Generous paid time off (including sick leave, vacation, paid family leave)
Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
Actual base salary offered will be determined by: experience, skills, and work location. This range is for base salary, our total compensation includes equity and benefits. We welcome you to apply even if your expectations are outside our listed range.
Pacific Fusion is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
Pacific Fusion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures and throughout employment. If you need assistance or any accommodation, please let us know.
Pacific Fusion does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies without a fully executed recruitment agreement in place. In the absence of such agreement, Pacific Fusion reserves the right to pursue and hire any candidates without an obligation to pay fees. Agencies are requested not to contact Pacific Fusion hiring managers or employees regarding recruiting services.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related equivalent experience
- 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering or automation in a relatable production environment
- Hands-on experience developing and integrating automation equipment, including mechanical and control systems (pneumatics, motion control, sensors)
- Experience with robotic arms (e.g., UR, Fanuc, ABB), end-of-arm tooling, and collaborative automation
- Strong CAD proficiency (e.g., PTC Creo) and ability to design tooling and fixturing
- Demonstrated capability with PLCs, industrial communication protocols, and control systems (e.g., Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Beckhoff)
- Solid understanding of process validation, process capability, and yield improvement methodologies and dashboard reporting
- Experience managing external automation integrators or machine builders
- Familiarity with MES, SCADA, or factory data collection tools
- Comfortable operating in an evolving, ambiguous, and cross-functional startup environment
- Background in electromechanical product assembly or electronics manufacturing
- Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems
- Familiarity with data visualization tools, IoT dashboards, and visual factory concepts
- Proficiency with TwinCAT, Python, or similar scripting languages for automation/data acquisition
Pacific Fusion Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Pacific Fusion and has not been reviewed or approved by Pacific Fusion.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Compensation is positioned as industry-competitive, with salary ranges described for many roles. Pay levels are framed as aligned to level and experience and are often paired with equity.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is included across a broad set of roles, signaling accessible ownership and upside participation. This enhances total compensation beyond base salary.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with a notable employer match is consistently highlighted. This indicates meaningful support for long-term savings.
Pacific Fusion Insights
What We Do
Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 with the mission to power the world with abundant, affordable, clean energy. We are rapidly designing and building a pulsed magnetic fusion system to achieve net facility gain (more fusion energy output than stored energy input). In parallel, we are developing the key components required to build affordable fusion systems. Our plans are ambitious. We have raised over $900M so far from incredible investors, resourcing us to deliver on these plans. We are bringing together the best scientists, engineers, and operators from the fusion community, hard tech industry, and other sectors. We are united by a shared sense of urgency to provide clean power for the world, particularly managing climate change while meeting growing global energy demand. You can read more about us in this letter from our founders: https://pacificfusion.com/updates/founders-letter
