Project Engineer

Overview:

Inertia is seeking a highly driven Project Engineer with a strong technical foundation in laser systems or hard science environments to lead complex, cross-functional projects from concept through execution.

This role is ideal for someone who drives decisions and leads teams to deliver results. The ideal candidate brings both technical depth and project leadership, with the ability to connect engineering, design, and physics concepts to execution.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end execution of technical projects, including defining scope, schedule, budget, and deliverables

• Drive project progress by tracking tasks, managing timelines, and ensuring accountability across teams

• Facilitate and lead cross-functional discussions, resolving conflicts and driving decisions forward

• Develop project plans, charters, and reporting to communicate status, risks, and milestones clearly

• Identify and mitigate risks, removing blockers to keep projects on track

• Apply technical understanding to support decision-making and guide project direction
  

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in project engineering or project management within a technical or scientific environment (Laser experience preferred)

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or related technical/science field

• Proven ability to lead projects independently and drive outcomes without heavy oversight

• Strong experience managing scope, schedule, and budget

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive decisions

• Experience with project management tools (MS Project required; Jira a plus)

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to summarize complex information clearly

• Strong problem-solving and conflict resolution skills

• PMP, PRINCE2, or Agile/Scrum certifications

Salary & Benefits:

• The base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $150,000; The pay range provided is an estimated base range for this role. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and education.

• We offer market-competitive compensation and an excellent benefits program, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, company-paid holidays, matching 401k, and more!
  

About Inertia:

Inertia is taking the most direct, scientifically-proven path to commercializing fusion, leveraging the only successful achievement of fusion ignition, using a process that was pioneered at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). With groundbreaking innovation, transformative technology, and multi-year investment, Inertia is committed to commercializing fusion energy in the next decade.

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls, security classification and/or designation as Controlled Unclassified Information. Employment in this position is conditioned on the candidate’s eligibility for, obtaining and maintaining appropriate government authorization to access technology or information, to the extent required, including without limitation a security clearance, export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items technology or information.