Design Safety Engineer

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Who We Are

At Proxima Fusion, we’re driven by a bold mission – to redefine the future of sustainable energy. Our unique concept, built upon the groundbreaking W7-X stellarator and the latest advances in technology, paves the way for commercially viable fusion power plants.

Why Join Proxima Fusion

• You will get to work on some of the most complex tech challenges to bring abundant, safe, clean energy to the world
• You'll get to join and learn from an exceptional selection of accomplished and driven individuals
• Do your life’s best work and enjoy the journey
• Get to show that big things are possible in Europe when you assemble the best talent

Your Impact

This design-focused role aims to steer the stellarator design and facilitate choices that ensure radiological safety is prioritized. Work across teams to ensure that component designers are informed of relevant nuclear safety implications. Review the existing design and propose changes that improve safety, mitigate accident scenarios, and strengthen compliance with regulatory standards. See the impact of your nuclear analysis directly influencing the design of stellarator demonstrator machines and first-of-a-kind power plants. In this role, you will have a significant impact on design safety and help set the path toward regulatory approval.

What You Will Do

• Review designs with nuclear safety in mind.
• Engage with engineering and physics teams early in the design process to ensure components and systems are developed with nuclear safety considerations.
• Collaborate with the neutronics experts, material scientists, and manufacturers to define limits for impurities in materials exposed to intense neutron irradiation.
• Analyze accident scenarios and propose mitigations.
• Support licensing activities, safety case development, and regulatory submissions.
• Develop and maintain procedures for tritium handling, activated material management, and waste minimization.
• Train and inform staff on radiation safety practices (e.g., nuclear-qualified welding).
• Provide clear justification for design changes to fulfil risk analysis requirements.
• Translate complex analysis outputs (e.g., neutronics dose maps) into actionable design guidance.
• Conduct supporting analyses (e.g., neutronics activation simulations with OpenMC) to evidence the benefits of safety-driven design decisions.
• Lead the development of operational procedures that are compatible with regulatory and inspection requirements.
• Perform detailed Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEA) to identify potential component and system failures, evaluate their safety implications, assess risk significance, and recommend design or procedural mitigations to ensure compliance with nuclear safety standards.

Who You Are

• Experience as a nuclear safety engineer or in a similar role.
• Experience engaging with German regulators.
• Experience operating in radioactive environments with both gamma and neutron dose.
• Experience designing nuclear reactors or reactor components.
• Relevant education, such as a nuclear engineering degree (desirable).
• German speaking (desirable)
• Ability to quantify the risk of material activation due to neutron irradiation with OpenMC.
• Ability to program in Python to interface with the design and simulation capabilities.
• Understanding of tritium-related risks and associated design mitigation strategies.
• An effective communicator, able to translate complex analysis results into actionable design changes adopted by engineering teams.

Interview Process

• Recruiter Interview (30-60 min)
• Technical Screening (30 min)
• Technical Panel (3x60 min)
• CEO call (30 min)

Job Details

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Management and Manufacturing
• Indústria: Electric Power Generation

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