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Breakthrough Energy Fellows Portfolio Job Board

Special Projects Intern (Spring 2025)

Marathon Fusion

Marathon Fusion

San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Feb 26, 2025

About Marathon Fusion

We are building the fuel cycle for fusion energy to unlock clean energy and mitigate climate disaster through the management and recycling of tritium fuel. Efficient recycling is essential to making fusion the abundant clean energy source of the future. By working alongside universities, national labs, and industry partners, we aim to ensure the safe and economic deployment of fusion energy at meaningful speed and scale.

Progress and Milestones

We have secured over $10M in funding from a diverse group of strategic investors (1517, Strong Atomics, AngloAmerican, and Shared Future), and the US Department of Energy's ARPA-E, with letters of intent from Helion and Commonwealth Fusion Systems—two industry leaders. We also have letters of intent for the plasma centrifuge we are developing, needed today by fission energy companies, like Naarea. Our breakthrough achievements include demonstrating a scaling pathway for super-permeable pumps and inventing a novel scheme for differential pumping in the fusion fuel cycle based on the plasma centrifuge concept. (Differential pumping helps separate different types of atoms and molecules, which is vital for fuel recycling).

Marathon Culture

At Marathon, we thrive in a dynamic environment, adapting to rapidly changing circumstances and shifting priorities, all whilst keeping an eye on our long-term goals. This requires excellent communication across roles and backgrounds, a high degree of trust between team members, and the willingness to learn and develop new skills on the job. We place particular weight on a team member's ability to be self-directed and proactive.

What you’ll do

You will work on our plasma centrifuge team, mentored by experienced engineers and scientists. Your role will involve building a new prototype for the plasma centrifuge, with a high degree of independence and ownership over the process.

Responsibilities include

  • Design and test components for the plasma centrifuge prototype.

  • Build and assemble experimental setups.

  • Collect and analyze data from experiments.

  • Collaborate with engineers and scientists on design improvements.

Minimum requirements

  • Studying for undergraduate degree in physics, physical chemistry, engineering, or a similar field

  • Ability to explain and interpret the results of previous science experiments, demonstrating an understanding of the underlying principles.

Preferred requirements

  • Experience with high vacuum systems and plasma diagnostics

  • Experience with optical diagnostics

  • Small-scale experiment development

  • Computational experience

If you meet the minimum requirements, you are encouraged to apply. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Work at Marathon

The role is full-time (40 hours a week) in-person at our San Francisco office. We are able to sponsor visas for applicants from outside of the U.S.

We are interviewing for interns able to join us for at least 10 weeks, any time of the year, and we are looking to fill this role immediately.

Pay and Benefits

The salary for this position is $55,000 USD/year, or $26.44/hour.

Hiring Policies

Marathon Fusion considers all qualified applicants equally for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis 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, ordinance, or regulation.