Tritium Engineer in Abingdon

Join us in our mission to commercialize fusion energy.

About Type One Energy: Type One Energy Group is mission‑driven to provide sustainable, affordable fusion power to the world. Established in 2019 and venture‑backed in 2023, the company is led by a team of globally recognized fusion scientists with a strong track record of building state‑of‑the‑art stellarator fusion machines, together with veteran business leaders experienced in scaling companies and commercializing energy technologies.

Location: Knoxville (TN) or Oxford (UK)

Salary: Highly Competitive Plus Benefits

Contract: Permanent, full time

Reporting to: Senior Director of Nuclear and Fuel Cycle

Your role in the mission: Type One Energy is seeking a highly motivated Tritium Engineer to support the development of the Infinity Two Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) Tritium Plant and associated technology demonstration facilities. This role combines process engineering, process modelling, systems engineering, technology development, and program delivery responsibilities. The successful candidate will support the design, modelling, integration, testing, and maturation of tritium fuel cycle systems required for the deployment of Infinity Two and future commercial stellarator power plants. The role will contribute to the development of tritium extraction, processing, storage, isotope separation, fuel clean‑up, detritiation, fuel delivery, and tritium accountancy systems. In parallel, the successful candidate will support the development of technology demonstrators and experimental facilities used to retire technical risk and increase the technology readiness of key fuel cycle systems prior to FPP deployment.

The Tritium Engineer will work closely with the wider Tritium Plant organization, systems engineering teams, safety specialists, physics teams, external laboratories, industrial partners, and suppliers to deliver practical engineering solutions supporting the commercialization of fusion energy. The successful candidate will be expected to balance engineering design, process modelling, technology development, and program delivery activities while acting as a key interface between the Tritium Plant organization and external technology partners.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the design, development, integration, and deployment of tritium fuel cycle systems for Infinity Two and associated technology demonstrators.
• Develop process engineering deliverables including Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), engineering specifications, operating philosophies, equipment sizing calculations, and system design documentation.
• Develop and maintain process models of tritium fuel cycle systems using engineering simulation tools such as Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS, MATLAB, Python, COMSOL, gPROMS, or equivalent platforms.
• Perform process engineering analyses including mass and energy balances, process inventories, equipment performance assessments, process optimization studies, and design trade‑off evaluations.
• Support the development of plant‑wide fuel cycle models, tritium accountancy methodologies, digital engineering tools, and digital twin capabilities.
• Act as a system engineer for assigned fuel cycle subsystems, supporting progression through Conceptual, Preliminary, and Detailed Design phases.
• Identify technology gaps, technical risks, and development opportunities and support maturation of fuel cycle technologies through experimental programmes, technology demonstrators, and research and development activities.
• Support commissioning, testing, operation, and analysis of prototype facilities and technology demonstration systems, ensuring lessons learned are incorporated into future plant designs.
• Work collaboratively with Tritium Scientists, Fuel Cycle Modelers, Systems Engineers, Safety Engineers, and Design Engineers to develop integrated fuel cycle solutions and support long‑term fuel cycle architecture development.
• Develop technical scopes of work, specifications, and engineering requirements for suppliers, contractors, and development partners, and support technical oversight of contracted activities.
• Review technical deliverables, monitor progress against program milestones, and support project planning, cost estimation, schedule management, and risk mitigation activities.
• Act as a technical interface with universities, national laboratories, industrial partners, suppliers, and regulatory stakeholders to support technology development and program execution.
• Support hazard assessments, safety analyses, tritium inventory evaluations, and development of operating procedures to ensure compliance with applicable nuclear, industrial, and quality standards.

What you’ll need:

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, or related discipline.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, process design, process safety, process control fundamentals.
• Experience developing engineering calculations and process simulations.
• Experience using process modelling tools such as Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS, MATLAB, Python, COMSOL, gPROMS, or equivalent platforms.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Desirable Qualifications & Experience:

• Experience with fusion fuel cycles, tritium systems, hydrogen technologies, isotope separation systems, or advanced nuclear technologies.
• Experience designing, commissioning, or operating industrial process plants.
• Knowledge of tritium processing technologies, metal hydride systems, getter beds, cryogenic systems, vacuum systems, gas handling systems, catalytic reactors, permeators, or detritiation systems.
• Experience with tritium transport modelling tools such as TMAP, FESTIM, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with nuclear safety requirements, regulatory frameworks, and design assurance processes.
• Experience managing external suppliers, technical contracts, or collaborative development programs.
• Chartered Engineer status or progress toward professional registration.

We offer:

• Basic salary and yearly bonus.
• Hybrid work policy.
• Stock options.
• Relocation assistance.
• Insurance plans.
• Retirement options.
• And many more voluntary benefits.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Type One Energy is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity, searching for the best new ideas and remaining open to unique perspectives. Therefore, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment independent of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age, or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.