--- title: 'Intern/Working Student, Alpha Engineering Design Team at Proxima Fusion' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/intern-working-student-alpha-engineering-design-team-proxima-fusion-munich-sa9npnvnjypr' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-07' --- # Intern/Working Student, Alpha Engineering Design Team at Proxima Fusion - **Company:** Proxima Fusion - **Location:** Munich, Germany - **Employment:** internship - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-11-02 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/proxima-fusion/9fd42d90-2c8b-4e5c-ac56-b77750329fb7 ## Job description ## 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. What’s more, our work in stellarator optimization, powered by cutting-edge computation and machine learning is propelling us into uncharted territories of fusion technology. New higher performance design points are unlocked by high temperature superconducting magnets. To fully grasp this opportunity, we’re building a team of dedicated and passionate people who come together driving something extraordinary, radically transforming technology in the world. ## 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 Join Proxima's Alpha Engineering Design team and help build Alpha, our flagship machine and the world's first high-temperature superconducting stellarator. Alpha is designed to de-risk the technologies needed for Stellaris, our future fusion power plant. You'll take on a well-defined engineering project with real impact on Alpha's design. You'll work closely with experienced engineers and a technical mentor, and learn how a fusion machine goes from concept to hardware. Your role would be in the Magnet Support Structures team, responsible for structural and thermomechanical analysis of the systems that hold the superconducting coils in place under extreme electromagnetic and cryogenic loads. ## WHAT YOU WILL DO Contribute to the design, analysis or testing of Alpha systems, working with the physics, mechanical and structural teams. Carry out engineering studies such as finite element simulations, design trade-offs, prototyping, experiments or simulation development, depending on your area. Document your results and present them to the team, and turn your findings into concrete design recommendations. ## WHO YOU ARE - Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Robotics/Mechatronics, or a related field. You must stay enrolled for the whole internship or working student contract. - High performers with excellent communication and problem-solving skills who love challenges and are not afraid to experiment, take risks, and learn from mistakes. Curious, proactive and a strong problem-solver. You like hard challenges and aren't afraid to experiment, take risks and learn from mistakes. - Experience in designing and analysing mechanical components and assemblies, with proficiency in CAD (experience with 3DExperience/CATIA v6 and ANSYS is highly beneficial, but not essential). - Experience in designing and delivering the conceptual and detailed design of mechanical, structural, thermal or electro-mechanical equipment, particularly for use in research, development, prototyping and manufacturing. - Knowledge and experience of designing and selecting materials for some or all of the following engineering applications: high temperature, cryogenic, electromagnetic, vacuum. - Proficiency with programming languages used in science and engineering (particularly Python) is highly beneficial but not essential. ## LOGISTICS Office: Munich, on-site. Timings: 3 - 12 months full-time (part-time is possible) as an intern. Start: Flexible between January - March 2027 ## INTERVIEW PROCESS Behavioural and Technical Screening (30 min) Technical Panel (1x60 min) This role sits at L1 of our framework, please inquire during the recruitment process for further information* At Proxima Fusion, our mission is bold: making limitless clean energy a reality. To get there, we need a high-performing, diverse team that brings different perspectives, challenges assumptions, and builds together with purpose. We know that diversity of thought and experience leads to better ideas, stronger execution, and a more resilient team. We don’t look at how you identify, what you look like, who you choose to worship or what ethnicity you are. We care about what you can bring to the table. ## About Proxima Fusion ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: A European fusion energy company building quasi-isodynamic stellarator power plants to deliver clean, safe, and abundant energy. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A – €130M raised in June 2025 plus €15M extension in September 2025) - **Headquarters**: Munich, Germany (additional offices in Zürich, Switzerland and Oxford, United Kingdom) - **Founded**: April 2023 - **Founders**: Francesco Sciortino, Lucio Milanese, Jorrit Lion, Jonathan Schilling, Martin Kubie ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Fusion energy (energy production) - **Target customers**: Energy companies, grid operators, and technology partners (B2B / Enterprise) - **Mission**: “Enabling human ambitions in a future with fusion energy” – providing abundant, clean, and safe energy for all. ## Products & Services - **Alpha Demonstration Stellarator**: A prototype stellarator designed to demonstrate net energy gain in steady-state, planned for first plasma around 2031. - **Stellaris Fusion Power Plant Concept**: A peer-reviewed, first-of-its-kind design for a commercial stellarator fusion power plant, targeting grid deployment in the late 2030s. - **Stellarator Model Coil (SMC)**: A demonstration high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet completed to validate coil technology for Alpha and Stellaris. - **Core Technology**: Quasi-isodynamic (QI) stellarator design combined with computational optimization, HTS magnets, and rapid prototyping – all leveraged from the record-breaking Wendelstein 7-X experiment. ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company) - **Key Metric**: Total funding ~€200M (≈$230M) in public and private capital, including pre-seed (€7.5M), seed (€20M), Series A (€130M + €15M extension), and additional grants from the European Innovation Council and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. - **Notable Investors / Partners**: Plural Platform, UVC Partners, redalpine, Bayern Kapital, DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Max Planck Foundation, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Visionaries Club, Wilbe. Strategic partners include the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). - **Growth Signals**: Team grown from founding to 100+ world-class scientists, engineers, and operators; completion of the Stellarator Model Coil; publication of the Stellaris power plant concept; convening an Industrial Development Board to scale European fusion supply chains; appointment of CFO Sergei Galperin (June 2026); integration of AI-driven design methods. ## Competitive Advantages - **QI Stellarator approach**: Toroidal currents cancel to zero, enabling inherently stable, continuous operation without the plasma disruptions that challenge tokamaks. - **Direct lineage from W7-X**: As the first spin-out from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, the team builds on decades of stellarator research and the world’s most advanced stellarator experiment. - **Simulation-first + rapid prototyping**: Combines cutting-edge computational design with HTS magnet technology to accelerate development timelines. - **Top-tier talent pool**: Team members from Max Planck IPP, MIT, SpaceX, Tesla, McLaren, Google X, EPFL, Stanford, Cambridge, and other leading institutions. - **Deep European ecosystem ties**: Close collaboration with public research institutes, industrial partners, and government funders. ## Strategic Focus - **Near-term (2026–2031)**: Complete the design and construction of the Alpha demonstration stellarator, demonstrate net energy in steady-state, and advance HTS magnet technology through continued R&D. - **Mid-term (2030s)**: Scale from Alpha to the Stellaris fusion power plant, targeting first electricity to the grid in the late 2030s. - **Long-term**: Establish a new clean energy infrastructure by industrializing stellarator power plants and securing supply chains across Europe. ## Why Work Here - **Mission with impact**: Tackle one of humanity’s greatest challenges – unlimited, clean, and affordable energy. - **High-performance culture**: Described as a “professional sports team” where success depends on placing the right person in the right role with real ownership from day one. - **Collaborative environment**: Work alongside exceptional peers from top tech, science, and engineering organizations; take on meaningful responsibility early. - **Locations**: Offices in Munich (HQ), Zürich (PSI campus), and Oxford (Culham Campus) – likely on-site given the hands-on nature of fusion R&D. - **Diverse disciplines**: Opportunities for engineers, scientists, operators, and business roles in a fast-growing deep-tech startup. ## Sources 1. [proximafusion.com](https://www.proximafusion.com/) 2. [proximafusion.com/about](https://www.proximafusion.com/about) 3. [proximafusion.com/careers](https://www.proximafusion.com/careers) 4. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/proxima-fusion](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/proxima-fusion) 5. [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxima_Fusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxima_Fusion) ## Other roles at Proxima Fusion - [Electrical Distribution Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-distribution-engineer-proxima-fusion-zurich-spb6t755hchf) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Infrastructure Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/infrastructure-program-manager-proxima-fusion-munich-zwrwpjsg3pd1) — Munich, Germany - [Event Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/event-manager-proxima-fusion-munich-v68kbnf9vm23) — Munich, Germany - [Instrumentation Development Embedded Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/instrumentation-development-embedded-engineer-proxima-fusion-munich-04bn4m38tnjt) — Munich, Germany - [Strategy and Business Development Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/strategy-and-business-development-manager-proxima-fusion-munich-tafkpeh1405g) — Munich, Germany - [Production Scheduler](https://feeny.ai/job/production-scheduler-proxima-fusion-munich-k9eg028d3b75) — Munich, Germany - [Mechanical Engineer - Equipment Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-equipment-engineering-proxima-fusion-munich-b2dj157r4wf3) — Munich, Germany - [Senior Computational Physicist, Stellarator Optimization](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-computational-physicist-stellarator-optimization-proxima-fusion-munich-bgat4kvxb2ww) — Munich, Germany - [Risk and Change Manager - Alpha Delivery PMO](https://feeny.ai/job/risk-and-change-manager-alpha-delivery-pmo-proxima-fusion-munich-9m96hwspqq9k) — Munich, Germany - [People Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/people-operations-manager-proxima-fusion-munich-5tjanbasztfe) — Munich, Germany