In this role you will be responsible for the design and implementation of real-time control algorithms, hardware communication, plus models and simulation frameworks necessary to verify those algorithms. Your algorithms will be used in critical, hard real-time applications in the SPARC project, as well as related projects. Your algorithms will generally be implemented in C++ and run as a Linux application.
As a member of the Software Engineering team, you will be a hands-on technical contributor. You will be a champion of writing excellent quality, production-ready code for mission-critical real-time systems. You will collect functional requirements from customers and produce software solutions to meet these requirements.
You will work with a variety of engineers to integrate your software into software testbeds, hardware testbeds, and the production tools. You will also contribute to the broader software ecosystem to improve tooling and processes used across the company.
What you'll do:
- Develop mission-critical control algorithms
- Develop software to communicate with hardware sensors/actuators
- Develop software infrastructure to operate Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) and software-only testbeds
- Develop simulation models and model infrastructure for both real-time and off-line (high fidelity) simulations
- Develop offline data analysis tools
- Help define and execute end-to-end and other integrated test cases and test plans to validate SPARC control software
What we’re looking for:
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field (computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, etc.)
- 5+ years relevant experience
- Professional experience writing real-time state estimation and control algorithms
- Experience with modern software development lifecycle practices (CI/CD, git version control, unit testing, integration testing, etc)
- Proficiency with Python
- Proficiency with at least one real-time control language (C++, Rust, etc)
Bonus points for:
- Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop testbeds and software-only testbeds for validating control software
- Experience writing models to validate software
- Familiarity with Linux
- Familiarity with general networking (IP/UDP)
Must-have Requirements:
- Perform activities such as typing, standing, sitting, etc. for extended periods of time
- Dedication to safety to mitigate industrial hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics
- Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field, such as computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or industrial engineering
- 5+ years of relevant experience
- Professional experience writing real-time state estimation and control algorithms
- Experience with modern software development lifecycle practices, including CI/CD, Git, unit testing, and integration testing
- Proficiency with Python
- Proficiency with at least one real-time control language, such as C++ or Rust
- Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop and software-only testbeds for validating control software
- Experience writing models to validate software
- Familiarity with Linux
- Familiarity with general networking, including IP/UDP
- Willingness to work around industrial hazards, including high voltage, high current, pressure systems, cryogenics, strong magnets, heat, cold, noise, and fumes
- Willingness to occasionally travel or work nights, weekends, or on-call shifts
Commonwealth Fusion Systems Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Commonwealth Fusion Systems and has not been reviewed or approved by Commonwealth Fusion Systems.
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Healthcare Strength — Health insurance is a core part of the package, with broad medical coverage presented as competitive for a growing tech and engineering employer. This is consistently listed alongside other cornerstone benefits.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) program with employer match is prominently included in compensation descriptions, signaling support for long-term savings. This appears across roles, including technical and production postings.
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Parental & Family Support — Generous parental leave is cited as a notable element of the offering. It sits alongside paid leave options that many candidates prioritize.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems Insights
What We Do
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. CFS is now building SPARC, the world's first commercially relevant, net energy fusion demonstration device. SPARC will pave the way for the first fusion power plant, ARC, that will produce power on the grid. The ultimate 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.
