Manager, Machine Maintenance and Integration
About The Position
Helion is hiring a Manager, Machine Maintenance and Integration to lead the teams responsible for maintaining, repairing, and upgrading its experimental and large-scale fusion machines. The role leads machine maintenance engineers and the managers of the AM and PM technician shifts, keeping machines ready for operation while supporting rapid changes in a demanding experimental environment. The manager owns work control, maintenance, and reliability programs so multiple teams can work safely and effectively on the machines. The role balances urgent repairs, preventive maintenance, integration work, and upgrades, and develops processes that can scale across machines. This is an onsite position at Helion’s Everett, Washington office and reports to the Senior Manager of R&D.
Requirements
- At least 2 years of people-management experience, including leading technicians, engineers, supervisors, or technical leads and building effective coordination across shifts.
- At least 5 years in maintenance, engineering, or operations within a complex, fast-paced, or high-growth operating facility.
- Demonstrated ability to translate changing operational priorities and requests from multiple teams into realistic work plans, including equipment modifications and upgrades.
- Hands-on understanding of hardware installation, testing, maintenance, repair, and commissioning, with the ability to read technical drawings and evaluate technical work plans.
- Working knowledge of work authorization, lockout/tagout, work permits, configuration management, management of change, and return-to-service requirements for equipment with significant stored energy.
- Experience managing preventive maintenance, equipment reliability, and structured failure investigations using a computerized maintenance management system, and the ability to surface risks and communicate technical tradeoffs clearly.
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field.
Responsibilities
- Lead, coach, and develop maintenance engineers and technician shift managers, including establishing effective coverage, shift handoffs, onboarding, and qualification programs.
- Own the machine maintenance and work-control program from intake and planning through execution, verification, testing, closeout, and return to service.
- Partner with Operations to prioritize repairs, preventive maintenance, upgrades, and integration work.
- Develop executable work packages and manage maintenance schedules, resources, spares, vendors, and contractor support.
- Champion a strong safety culture by reinforcing stop-work authority and ensuring effective pre-job briefs, energy controls, work permits, configuration management, and management of change.
- Build a data-driven preventive maintenance and reliability program using equipment history, failure analysis, and performance metrics to reduce recurring issues and improve machine availability.
- Oversee machine upgrades and integration readiness from scope and resource planning through installation, commissioning, and operational turnover.
- Ensure new hardware is safe, testable, maintainable, and scalable across multiple experimental machines.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision plans for employees and their families.
- 31 days of PTO (21 vacation days and 10 sick days).
- 10 paid holidays, plus a company-wide winter break.
- Up to 5% employer 401(k) match.
- Short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance.
- Paid parental leave and support of up to 16 weeks.
- Annual wellness stipend.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
