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.
Why This Role Matters
Pacific Fusion is seeking an exceptional Mechanical Engineering Intern to join our dynamic team and create the path to commercial fusion energy. In your role as a mechanical engineering intern, you will get to own a project through the planning, design, assembly, and testing phases of development. Our intention is for our interns to get experience in cradle to grave design as well as hands-on experience building and testing these systems. All of our intern projects are high priority and value-added efforts that directly contribute to the successful development of our fusion system.
What You'll Do- Work on a variety of of meaningful projects across the target area engineering team
- Junior or Senior standing in a 4-year Mechanical Engineering program
- Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals and first principles
- Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills
- Working knowledge of stress analysis (hand calcs and FEA), 2D drawings, and design for manufacturing and assembly
- Experience using 2D and 3D CAD tools such as Creo or SolidWorks
Additional Requirements:
- Able to work full time, onsite for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks beginning in Mid May- Mid June 2027
- Hands-on mechanical design through coursework, clubs, research, or personal projects
- Experience with conventional machining, shop tools, and rapid prototyping
- Experience defining system architectures and making design tradeoffs against requirements
- Experience writing build instructions, procedures, or test plans
- Strong measurement, documentation, and data analysis skills
- Curiosity, humility, and a desire to both teach and learn
- Ability to design, build, and operate test stands and experimental hardware
- Experience or strong interest in kinematics
- Experience or strong interest in structures
- Experience or strong interest in robotics
- 6+ months of prior internship, co-op, or substantial project experience
- GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Experience with CAD, MATLAB, Python, or Excel
- Meaningful, resume-building engineering work on real hardware
- A chance to design, build, and test real systems
- Mentorship from experienced engineers in a high-impact environment
- Exposure to the full product lifecycle—from concept and design to build, test, and operation
- A collaborative, hands-on, learning-driven culture
- Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
- An unforgettable summer working on systems that truly matter!
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.
EQUAL OPPORTUNTITYPacific 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.
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCEThis position may require access to information or technology that is subject to U.S. export control laws, such as ITAR or EAR. Under these regulations, we are required to ensure that such access is provided only to individuals who are classified as 'U.S. Persons.'This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.
RECRUITING AGENCIES
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
- Junior or senior standing in a four-year Mechanical Engineering program
- Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals and first principles
- Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills
- Working knowledge of stress analysis, including hand calculations and FEA
- Working knowledge of 2D drawings and design for manufacturing and assembly
- Experience using 2D and 3D CAD tools such as Creo or SolidWorks
- Ability to work full time onsite for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks beginning between mid-May and mid-June 2027
- Hands-on mechanical design experience through coursework, clubs, research, or personal projects
- Experience with conventional machining, shop tools, and rapid prototyping
- Experience defining system architectures and making design tradeoffs against requirements
- Experience writing build instructions, procedures, or test plans
- Strong measurement, documentation, and data analysis skills
- Ability to design, build, and operate test stands and experimental hardware
- Experience or strong interest in kinematics, structures, or robotics
- At least six months of prior internship, co-op, or substantial project experience
- GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Experience with CAD, MATLAB, Python, or Excel
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
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