About the job

About Avalanche Energy

Avalanche Energy is a Washington-based startup building compact, deployable fusion systems through rapid hardware iteration. Rather than pursuing fusion as a single grid-scale outcome, Avalanche develops transportable fusion machines designed to be built, tested, and operated on short cycles, turning real hardware into steady progress. This approach enables near-term applications that demand extreme energy density and endurance—starting with fusion neutron production for radioisotope power and other defense and space uses—while advancing the underlying fusion platform. Backed by U.S. government programs and a team experienced in delivering complex systems, Avalanche is focused on building fusion that runs in the real world, not just on paper.

Avalanche might be a fit for you if:

You are drawn to the boundary between design and execution—where systems, teams, and hardware have to come together into something that actually runs. You have strong technical judgment and the hands-on instincts to know when something is not ready, even if the paperwork says it is. You are energized by owning a test cell end-to-end: its configuration, its readiness, its safety, and its daily rhythm during campaigns. You are comfortable making real-time decisions under uncertainty, coordinating across engineering and science teams, and holding the line on safety and rigor in a fast-paced environment. You care about execution discipline because you understand that credible experimental results depend on it.

About the Role

Avalanche Energy is hiring an Integration & Test Systems Engineer to serve as the technical owner of one of our Orbitron test cells. As we scale the number and complexity of experimental campaigns, we need dedicated technical owners who can ensure test cells operate as stable, safe, and well-integrated execution platforms.

This role owns the technical execution, readiness, and day-to-day operation of an assigned test cell. You will be the primary technical authority for the test cell’s configuration, integration, and operation, and the first point of contact for any technical or execution question related to that cell. You will work closely with scientists, engineering functions, and test operators to ensure experiments are executed safely, repeatably, and in alignment with approved test plans. This role sits within the Integration & Test team and reports to the Integration & Test Manager.

Responsibilities

Test Cell Ownership & Execution

• Own the safe, effective execution of experiments from campaign preparation through closeout. Serve as the primary technical authority for the test cell’s configuration, integration, and operation.
• Own configuration management for the test cell, ensuring that changes are tracked, documentation is current, and procedures and limits remain consistent.
• Serve as the primary test conductor for the test cell, with significant time expected at the console during active campaigns. Select and qualify additional test conductors as needed, ensuring they are current on safety training and knowledgeable about hazards and test cell configuration.
• Coordinate daily test cell activities—hosting stand-ups, managing the test cell calendar, and working with scientists, the Integration & Test Manager, and Program Management on availability and progress.
• Work with engineering and scientists to identify data acquisition (DAQ), controls, instrumentation, and mechanical requirements, and verify that the test cell is ready to support stated objectives.
• Prepare and run test readiness reviews to ensure all prerequisite work has owners and a path to closure. Ensure all safety procedures are current and that personnel are trained on relevant hazards.
• Troubleshoot hardware, instrumentation, and control system issues at the component and system level.
• Perform hands-on integration, assembly, and checkout of mechanical, electrical, and fluid systems as needed to support the engineering teams.

Technical Reviews & Live Testing

• Attend design reviews, integration readiness reviews, and campaign reviews as the test cell technical expert, providing feedback on testability, operability, and integration risks before they reach execution.
• Support live testing by providing subject matter expertise on test cell operations. Coordinate the response to real-time issues or anomalies—framing options, engaging the right expertise, and documenting decisions.
• Determine how and when to implement campaign changes identified by scientists, including when re-review or escalation is required. Ensure anomalies are documented with clear ownership and that lessons learned feed back into configuration and procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in test operations, systems integration, or systems engineering in a hardware-intensive environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of subsystem interactions and common off-nominal behaviors in complex test or operational systems.
• Experience owning readiness for complex integration or test efforts, including verifying that instrumentation, timing, and data capture support stated objectives.
• Ability to identify emerging integration or execution risks and recommend mitigation or escalation, recognizing when specialized expertise is required.
• Hands-on experience with test operations, including configuration management, safety procedures, and real-time decision making during live testing.
• Experience providing execution guidance based on preparation and known system behavior, with judgment to identify when decisions exceed local authority.
• Strong communication skills—able to coordinate across engineering, science, and operations teams and provide clear, constructive feedback in technical reviews.

Desired Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in test operations, systems integration, or systems engineering, including lead roles on complex test cells or integration campaigns.
• Demonstrated ability to act as a system integrator, reasoning across coupled subsystems, interfaces, and assumptions under uncertainty.
• Track record of making independent risk judgments within authority and clearly framing tradeoffs and impacts when escalating.
• Experience leading technical response when execution deviates from expected behavior, including ensuring clear anomaly ownership and prompt engagement of domain experts.
• Background in plasma physics, aerospace, energy, or other complex, high-consequence test environments.
• Familiarity with vacuum systems, high-voltage systems, cryogenics and pressure systems.
• Experience working with sensors and transducers in experimental or industrial environments.
• Familiarity with basic scripting or data tools (e.g., Python)
• Experience with timing, triggering, and synchronization of measurements across multiple instruments.
• Experience in a startup or scaling organization with the ability to operate effectively without fully established processes.

Additional Considerations

Location: Onsite, Tukwila, WA.

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• 10 paid holidays and a company-wide December holiday break.
• Generous paid vacation and sick time.
• Small, tight-knit team with low barriers to action.
• Exposure to a wide range of challenging, cross-disciplinary technical programs.
• Meaningful equity in the form of stock options.

We value people of all backgrounds. We are an equal opportunity employer, and you do not need to match every listed qualification to apply. If you like being hands-on, all over the system, and making difficult hardware work in the real world, we encourage you to apply.

This position may require access to export-controlled information. In order to comply with U.S. export control laws, applicants must be a “U.S. person” as defined by U.S. trade control laws (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual).

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