Principal, Safety Risk Engineer
Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Devens, MA, USA
Posted on Friday, August 2, 2024
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy.
CFS collaborates with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with groundbreaking new high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. Our mission is to deploy these power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. To that end, 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. To implement this plan, we are looking to add dedicated people to the team who treat people well, improve our work by adding multifaceted perspectives and new ways of solving problems, have achieved outstanding results through a range of pursuits, and have skills and experience related to this role.
Our goal is to deploy thousands of fusion power plants (ARCs) around the world. We need a highly motivated and experienced safety and risk engineer to help deliver our first fusion device, SPARC. After SPARC is proven we move forward to multiple iterations of ARC technology for rapid deployment.
We are seeking a Principal, Safety Risk Engineer to join our Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security (EHSS) team. Reporting directly to the Director of Project Safety, this role will be the organization’s process safety and risk management expert and will serve as a key advisor to ensure the safe design and operation of novel systems and applications throughout the fusion power plant. These systems and applications are found in the tokamak, primary & secondary support systems to the tokamak, and operations applications throughout the power plant as we lead ambitious endeavors aimed at developing cutting-edge fusion power technology.
Examples of the unique and novel power systems we are currently engineering include:
● A Cryogenic System (CRYO) removes heat from the tokamak to keep the superconducting magnets operating down to 8°Kelvin (-445°F). CRYO consists of a distribution system with multiple tanks and vacuum-jacketed lines interfacing with the fusion reactor to supply cold helium and return warm to the cryoplant. The cryoplant is a 4 MW helium Brayton cycle plant that rejects the heat to the liquid nitrogen (LN2) and cooling water systems.
● A Radio Frequency Heating System (RFHT) serves as the heat source to bring the plasma up to and sustain operating temperatures, utilizing Ion Cyclotron Resonant Heating. The system is built up of a series of transmitters that convert electrical power to Radio Frequency power, a transmission system, and ultimately an antenna system to send the signals into the tokamak.
● A pulsed power system responsible for driving the SPARC tokamak magnet system loads and providing dynamic control of plasma. It consists of a 700 MVA, 22 kV synchronous machine source, kinetic energy storage and approximately 1000 MVA of installed power conversion equipment serving 20+ individually controlled loads.
The ideal candidate for this role will have 15+ years’ experience with risk identification, assessment, risk management and management of change practices for industrial plants, power generation facilities, utilities, or large scientific facilities such as particle accelerators or fusion devices. Successful candidates will demonstrate sufficient technical knowledge to understand detailed designs.
This individual will be capable of documenting designs in drawings and specifications as well as effectively communicating the bases and results of risk informed safety analyses to Stakeholders and Leadership in the form of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) summaries or similar.
Broad experience is desired including competence in a combination of the following fields of engineering:
● Probabilistic Risk Assessment
● Process Safety Management
● HAZOP,
● Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation & Control, and Nuclear Engineering disciplines
● Installation, commissioning and initial operations for multiple new technologies in support of a tokamak power plant
The selected candidate will be highly organized and an excellent communicator. They will be responsible for prioritizing activities with Stakeholders on a fast-paced, active project.
This role is available for hybrid work consideration. The majority of scope will be in office/ in the power plant. A portion of scope will be available for remote consideration.
This team member will:
- Serve as a technical subject matter expert for risk assessment on SPARC and ARC components, systems and operational conditions
- Perform risk assessments in accordance with the appropriate industry standards and guidance, authoring and reviewing PRA-related documents that support modelling and applications for risk insights
- Use risk-related software to create and maintain risk models that represent the design of CFS projects
- Collaborate and communicate with key stakeholders in engineering, project leadership, and operations to maintain continuity of projects
- Establish and adjust priorities with the ability to adapt to change and raise concerns when there are challenges with projects and/or timelines
- Prepare thorough and accurate technical reports, correspondence, documentation, calculations, and sketches related to defined scenarios
- Develop and maintain safety basis documents and safety basis program procedures
- Educate and align CFS Stakeholders on the use of various safety risk analysis concepts and terms to include, but not limited to:
- o Safety Hierarchy of Controls
- o Categories of applicable regulatory standards
- o Risk Reduction measures and standards
- o Management of Change
- o PRA likelihood, probability and impact concepts
- o Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA)
- o Compliance and risk reduction concepts and thresholds
- o Safety Critical Parts Analysis concepts
- o FMECA, HAZOP,
- o Functional Safety Testing and documentation
- o Safety Risk Matrix development and documentation
- Facilitate a robust safety risk culture rooted in a balanced approach between safety and meeting aggressive completion schedules
- Interpret published guidelines, local, state and federal requirements and best practices to propose safety related solutions with limited direct industry examples to use as precedence
- Implement solutions that are scalable and aligned with CFS’ strategic goals and objectives
- Mentor other EHSS and engineering personnel on safety risk assessment concepts
- Participate in design reviews, test reviews, constructibility reviews, FMECA’s, HAZOPs, PHA’s, and other hazard recognition and assurance activities as requested
- Other duties as assigned
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of these requirements:
- Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering or a related technical field or experience in related fields as follows; 15 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or about 10 years and a Master’s degree of progressive experience in an engineering role in a high-risk industry, preferably power or process plant development, refining or petrochemical plant projects, or a similar industry
- Expert level knowledge and experience with the concepts and practices applicable to process safety and risk assessment
- Significant experience in highly technical environments with electro-mechanical systems, power plants, advanced software and utility equipment concepts
- Proven experience in defining and implementing safety strategies for complex engineering projects
- Strong analytical skills to conduct detailed gap analyses of industry standards and internal safety practices
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Strong facilitation skills and ability to work from a position of credible influence based on technical knowledge versus a position of direct authority
- Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs
- Perform activities such as typing, standing, or sitting for extended periods of time
- Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally
Additional preferred experience and/or qualifications:
- Extensive experience with HAZOP concepts, standards and practices
- Experience with using PRA-related software (fault tree editors and quantification processes) to build and modify fault trees following industry PRA guidance and standards is preferred
- Extensive experience working either in a power generation plant or similar capacity related to a grid-connected power utility
- Extensive experience developing a Process Safety Management (PSM) program
- Experience application of Process Hazard Analysis tools in a non-PSM regulated facility
- Working knowledge and competence of an energy-based hazard recognition principles and programs
- Working knowledge and competence of Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) or Human Performance Improvement concepts and practices
- Dedication to safety to mitigate industrial hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, and cryogenics
- #LI-Hybrid
CFS team members thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits. We all tightly align with our company values of integrity, execution, impact and self-critique. As we grow, we are looking to add talented people who are mission driven and bring diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems.
At CFS, we deeply value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.