R&D Engineer
About The Position
Helion is a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, with the mission to build the world's first fusion power plant, enabling a future with unlimited clean electricity. Their vision is a world with clean, reliable, and affordable energy for everyone. Since Helion's founding in 2013, they have raised over $1 billion from investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group as well as new investors SoftBank and Lightspeed. Their last prototype, Trenta, completed 10,000 high-power pulses and reached plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius (9 keV). They are now operating Polaris, their next prototype on the path to the world's first fusion power plant. This is a pivotal time to join Helion. You will tackle real-world challenges with a team that prizes urgency, rigor, ownership, and a commitment to delivering hard truths – values essential to achieving what no one has before. Together, they will change the future of energy, because the world can't wait.
Requirements
- B.S. with 5+ years of relevant experience, or M.S. with 2+ years of relevant experience in Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
- Extensive hands-on experience building, modifying, or repairing high-vacuum chamber systems or high-voltage capacitor systems
- Experience operating high-energy systems on console
- Experience owning complex systems and driving change management and improvements
- Proven experience designing, building, and operating complex experiments with a focus on diagnostics and continuous improvement
- Demonstrated ability to rapidly learn new technologies and take ownership of project areas
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to meet challenging objectives with minimal supervision
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively within a team and mentor junior team members
Responsibilities
- Contribute to the build, and measurement of Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) fusion devices
- Control pulsed power systems, including mega-joule capacitor banks and high-energy infrastructure
- Support the design and execution of plasma and high-energy experiments
- Work with large-scale vacuum systems, including vacuum cycling quartz chambers greater than one meter in diameter
- Apply plasma physics concepts to generate FRCs and interpret diagnostics for magnetic fields, fusion products, and plasma characteristics
- Operate and troubleshoot LabView-based control systems using PXIe-NI chassis in fast-pulse EMI environments
- Use critical reasoning to evaluate and improve technical solutions
- Collaborate cross-functionally to design, build, and improve integrated systems
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 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 (up to 16 weeks)
- Annual wellness stipend
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
