---
title: 'Manufacturing Engineer (Temporary ITER Secondment Program) at Proxima Fusion'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-temporary-iter-secondment-program-proxima-fusion-munich-hqa83311mhd4'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-12'
---

# Manufacturing Engineer (Temporary ITER Secondment Program) at Proxima Fusion

- **Company:** Proxima Fusion
- **Location:** Munich, Germany
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-06-05
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/proxima-fusion/ff2f1cb1-835d-4166-b303-cc7b01bc6f80/application

**Skills:** High temperature superconducting magnets, Advanced computation, Machine learning, Structural fabrication, Welding, Non-destructive testing, Ultra-high vacuum leak testing, High-precision metrology, Laser trackers, Scheduling software (Primavera), Microsoft Office, CATIA V5, Assembly tooling design, Lifting and handling heavy components, Project scheduling, Quality assurance systems

> Manufacturing Engineer responsible for developing and managing assembly engineering work packages for fusion machine projects, ensuring safety, quality, and schedule adherence during a temporary secondment at ITER followed by assignment at Proxima Fusion in Munich.

## Job description

## WHO WE ARE

Proxima Fusion is Europe’s fastest-growing fusion company and the continent’s best-funded fusion player, as well as the first spin-out from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP). Backed by over €650M and powered by a growing team across Munich, Zurich, and Oxford, we are developing the hardware and infrastructure needed to deliver the world’s first commercial stellarator fusion power plant. Our concept advances the most mature fusion technology out there, the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, through two next-generation machines: Alpha and Stellaris. Our work combines stellarator optimization, advanced computation, machine learning, and high-temperature superconducting magnets to unlock higher-performance designs that were previously out of reach. Turning these designs into a functioning fusion power plant requires excellence and ownership across every discipline, from physics and engineering to software, manufacturing, law, and business functions.

## 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

As a Manufacturing Engineer, you will take ownership of developing assembly strategies and work packages for our stellarator machine program, one of the most critical and technically demanding elements of our first integrated prototype. This role sits at the intersection of engineering rigour and hands-on execution, defining how complex fusion machine systems are assembled safely, precisely, and on schedule.

## SECONDMENT PROGRAM DETAILS

This position is part of a unique secondment program in collaboration with ITER, through their IPA (ITER Project Associates) scheme. You will be hired by Proxima Fusion and start in our Munich office for 6 months, then for 12 months be embedded at the ITER Organization in Cadarache, France, gaining direct, hands-on experience at the world's largest fusion experiment. Following the secondment, you will relocate back to Munich to continue your career at Proxima Fusion.

## WHAT YOU WILL DO

- Develop fusion machine assembly engineering work packages based on system engineering inputs, including review of technical data, confirmation of assembly strategies, and identification of open points in the process.
- Verify and validate input data provided to external suppliers, and review installation work packages they prepare in return.
- Prepare technical documents covering specification, execution, and surveillance of machine assembly work packages.
- Survey and monitor construction work through to completion, maintaining responsibility for safety, quality, and schedule.
- Define process interfaces between components, systems, and associated tooling, proposing layouts, concepts, and alternative strategies to resolve assembly challenges, improve quality, and optimise cost and schedule.
- Contribute to the design of assembly tools and ensure applicable quality and safety measures are upheld throughout.
- Support the development and ongoing maintenance of the overall machine assembly strategy.
- Implement technical controls for safety-critical requirements and ensure their propagation across the external supply chain.

## WHO YOU ARE

- Master's degree or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering or a comparable field; relevant experience and additional training certificates may be considered in lieu of formal education.
- At least 5 years' experience in the construction of large industrial, big science, or nuclear projects.
- Good understanding of non-standardised design, construction, and assembly aspects related to experimental devices or high-technology equipment.
- Experience in a nuclear or highly-regulated environment, with a solid grasp of nuclear safety principles, a strong advantage.
- Proven ability to write technical specifications and documentation covering all aspects of assembly work, from desk to field.
- Experience in contract monitoring and follow-up with external suppliers.
- Knowledge of structural fabrication, welding, non-destructive testing (including ultra-high vacuum leak testing), and complex assemblies involving high-precision metrology (laser trackers/scanning).
- Good working knowledge of QA systems and their practical application in a field environment.
- Experience with assembly tooling design — including application of codes and standards, safety & quality, and tolerance management — is a plus.
- Familiarity with lifting, handling, and transportation of heavy components and structures is an advantage.
- Experience scheduling assembly activities and using scheduling software such as Primavera is an advantage.
- Fluent in English (written and spoken).
- Proficient in Microsoft Office; working knowledge of CATIA V5/Enovia.

## INTERVIEW PROCESS

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

*This role sits at L2/L3 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)

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