Research And Development Technician

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 defense applications while advancing base fusion performance. 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 like being the person who makes everything actually work. You’re comfortable bouncing between deeply technical tasks and mundane ones—wiring a rack in the morning, fixing a leak at noon, rebuilding a test setup in the afternoon, and cleaning up so the next test runs cleanly. You take pride in craftsmanship, order, and reliability. You notice loose ends, incomplete setups, and fragile solutions—and you fix them. You enjoy being all over the system and don’t need a narrow box to do your best work.

About the Role

Avalanche Energy is seeking an R&D Technician to serve as a hands-on, everything-touching builder and caretaker of our experimental environment. This role spans hardware, test infrastructure, electrical systems, fluids, pneumatics, hydraulics, vacuum, facilities interfaces, and the thousand small but critical details that turn designs into robust, clean, working machines.

This is not a narrow technician role. You will work on fusion hardware one hour and facility infrastructure the next. You will assemble, route, label, fix, improve, tear down, and rebuild. You will support rapid design–build–test cycles by making sure experiments are usable, safe, legible, and robust.

If each experiment is a soup—mechanical is the meat, electrical the vegetables, science the spice—this role is the broth. You make everything connect, function, and hold together.

Responsibilities

- Build, assemble, modify, and tear down experimental hardware and test infrastructure

- Support fusion test cells from floor to ceiling, including fixtures, utilities, routing, and access

- Assemble, maintain, and update electrical and instrumentation systems supporting experiments and test cells

- Route, install, and maintain water, air, pneumatics, hydraulics, cabling, and wiring with clarity, safety, and durability

- Maintain and support shared lab and facility systems including chillers, coolers, cryogenic equipment, vacuum systems, pumps, and utilities

- Prepare experiments for testing by making setups functional, robust, and easy to troubleshoot

- Label, organize, stage, and restore lab infrastructure so it is clear what goes where and how it’s used

- Support engineers and scientists during builds and test campaigns with hands-on execution as needed

- Participate directly in rapid design–build–test cycles to enable fast experimental progress

- Provide experience-driven feedback and practical insight during the design process

- Establish and maintain standards for test infrastructure, electrical work, and general lab workmanship

- Identify weak points, fragile setups, or safety issues and proactively improve them

- Coordinate and assist additional team members during high-demand build or test periods

- Keep lab, test, and facility-adjacent areas clean, orderly, and operational

Required Qualifications

- Experience working in an R&D, laboratory, industrial, or test environment

- Strong hands-on mechanical aptitude and comfort working with physical systems

- Experience installing, maintaining, or troubleshooting electrical systems

- Experience with fluids, pneumatics, hydraulics, or facility-adjacent infrastructure

- Electrical troubleshooting experience using basic test equipment

- Ability to work carefully, cleanly, and to a high standard across many types of tasks

- Comfort switching between technical, manual, and logistical work as needed

- Strong sense of ownership, pride in workmanship, and attention to detail

- Good communicator with a flexible, get-it-done attitude

Desired Qualifications

- Electrical and/or mechanical technician experience

- Experience assembling experimental, prototype, or low-volume hardware

- Experience with interlocks or other safety systems

- Familiarity with vacuum or ultra-high-vacuum systems

- Experience with cryogenic systems or fluid handling

- Experience working around high-voltage systems

- Experience with pneumatic systems and precision plumbing

- Automation or controls installation experience

- Surface-mount and through-hole soldering experience

- Prior work in fast-paced, hardware-driven R&D environments

Additional Considerations

- Location: Prefer onsite to support hands-on laboratory work and close integration with mechanical, manufacturing, electrical and experimental teams

- Site: Tukwila, Washington

- Travel: Occasional travel for equipment procurement, integration, or collaboration as needed

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, hands-on engineering problems

- Meaningful equity in the form of stock options

- Probably a lot of work with Justin

We value people of all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, and sexual orientations. 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.