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Senior Director, SPARC Plant Operations
Job Location:
Job Location:
Devens, MA - USA
Yearly Salary:
$ 250000 - 350000
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
29 May 2026 (30+ days ago)
Posted:
Application Deadline:
18 November 2026
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Vacancies:
Job Summary
About Commonwealth Fusion Systems:
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is on a mission to deliver the urgent transition to fusion energy.
Combining decades of research top talent and new technologies were designing and building commercially viable fusion power plants. And were working with policymakers suppliers and many others to build the energy industry of the future.
Were in the best position to make it happen. Since 2018 weve raised $4 billion of capital making us the largest and leading fusion company in the world.
Now were looking for more thinkers doers builders and makers to join us. People wholl bring new perspectives solve tough problems and thrive as part of a team.
If thats you and this role fits we want to hear from you.
Join the power movement as Senior Director SPARC Plant Operations
The individual selected for this role will function as the leader of the SPARC Plant Operations team and will be accountable for the safe and reliable operation of the SPARC Plant which comprises all the various mechanical and electrical plant systems that enable operation of the tokamak. The SPARC Operations Director will be accountable to establish a high performing Operations and Maintenance team as well as continuous improvement of the processes and procedures that govern their work. This role collaborates extensively with the Plasma Physics Program and Engineering teams to maximize experimental time and to maintain facility integrity.
What youll do:
- Plant Utilization
- Develop and manage shift schedules on-call rotations and vacation planning to ensure 24/7 operational coverage and readiness
- Collaborate with the SPARC Plant Engineering and SPARC Plasma Operations team to ensure the plant is functionally ready to execute operational experiments
- Oversee all daily pre-operational checks and plant startup/shutdown procedures
- Manage all operational consumables and spares (e.g. gases cryogens chemicals diesel fuel equipment spare parts)
- Operations Programs
- Develop and maintain plant operations manuals procedures and emergency response protocols
- Develop and implement comprehensive training programs including initial qualification continuing training and specialized skill development
- Develop and implement plant operations work controls energy control procedures and simultaneous operations coordination processes
- Develop and implement robust alarm and notification systems and standards for efficient operator response to maintain facility integrity and personnel safety
- Maintenance and Asset Management
- Develop and execute a comprehensive plant maintenance strategy incorporating preventive predictive and corrective maintenance
- Plan and manage the schedule for all maintenance windows minimizing downtime and maximizing plant availability
- Oversee the execution of all maintenance activities ensuring work is performed safely to a high standard and documented correctly
- Work with the Engineering team to plan and carry out necessary maintenance and upgrades in between scheduled usage
- Continuous Improvement and Performance
- Track key reliability metrics to understand overall performance
- Champion a culture of continuous improvement by actively identifying opportunities to enhance safety reduce operational costs and increase plant efficiency and reliability
- Lead cross-functional teams to execute continuous improvement projects using Root Cause Analysis and other similar methodologies
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for plant operations and use data-driven insights to guide improvement initiatives
- Team
- Recruit hire and onboard a high-performing team of plant operators technicians and support staff
- Foster a strong positive and safety-first culture within the operations team
- Authorities
- Approve and enforce all operating procedures training manuals and protocols
- Execute maintenance work orders and direct the execution of scheduled maintenance and upgrade projects planned in coordination with the SPARC Engineering Director
- Make decisions regarding hiring and mentoring of the Operations Team
- Manage and direct the utilization of external maintenance contracts to provide surge support and specialized maintenance
- Shutdown operation of the machine if immediate personnel safety or facility integrity is compromised
- Accountabilities
- Accountable for the safe reliable and efficient operation of the SPARC facility strictly within design basis operating parameters
- Accountable for maintaining 24/7 operational readiness and full staffing coverage of all critical shifts
- Accountable for the quality accuracy and standardization of all operations and maintenance procedures
- Accountable for effective collaboration with the SPARC Engineering team to execute scheduled maintenance and maximize facility availability for experiments
What were looking for:
- Bachelors degree in an engineering field or equivalent experience
- 15 years experience managing operations of large process facilities such as power plants scientific facilities or process manufacturing facilities
- Experience with operating large process systems such as a power plant chemicals oil/gas cryogenics or others
- Experienced managing salaried and hourly staff
- Strong people management skills of both small and large teams
- Leadership team-building and mentoring skills for both engineers and technicians
- Demonstrated ability to build trust with front line employees and identify issues first hand
- Executes long-term departmental strategy using sound judgment to align tactical initiatives with overall organizational goals
- Ensures cross-functional alignment through proven effective communication with diverse stakeholders and executive leadership
- Ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment
- Strong attention to safety and the creation of a safety culture
Bonus points for:
- Operational experience with first-of-a-kind facilities or other new technology
- Experience with commissioning of plant process systems
- Experience working in radiation controlled environments
Must-have requirements:
- Perform activities such as stooping climbing typing standing or sitting for extended periods of time
- Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call
- Work in a facility that contains industrial hazards including heat cold noise fumes strong magnets lead (Pb) high voltage high current pressure systems and cryogenics
$250000 - $350000 a year
Salary range for this full-time position equity benefits.The actual salary will depend on level location qualifications and experience. The range displayed on each job posting reflects new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Benefits include:
Competitive compensation with equity
13 Company-wide Holidays
Flexible vacation days
10 sick days
Generous parental leave policy
Health dental and vision insurance
401(k) with employer matching
Professional growth opportunities
Team-building activities
#LI-Onsite
At CFS we excel in fast-paced environments driven by our values of integrity execution impact and self-critique. As we grow were eager to bring on mission-driven folks who offer diverse perspectives and fresh ways to tackle challenges.
We value diversity deeply and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally regardless 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.
This role requires compliance with U.S. laws concerning the export of controlled or protected technologies or information (collectively Export Control Laws). Any offer of employment will be contingent on the need for compliance with such Export Control Laws.
Required Experience:
Exec
