Senior Nuclear Materials Engineer

Helion Energy • Everett, WA

92d • $160,000 - $200,000

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. Our vision is a world with clean, reliable, and affordable energy for everyone. Since Helion's founding in 2013, we have raised over $1 billion from long-time investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group as well as new investors SoftBank and Lightspeed to propel us forward. Our last prototype, Trenta, completed 10,000 high-power pulses and reached plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius (9 keV). We are now operating Polaris, our 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, we will change the future of energy, because the world can't wait.

Requirements

• A professional understanding of radiation effects on materials, typically demonstrated by a degree in nuclear engineering, materials science, physics, or related discipline and 8+ years of hands-on work.
• 8+ years of experience handling radioactive material.
• 4+ years of experience working on non-aqueous corrosion and environmentally assisted degradation mechanisms (e.g., stress corrosion cracking, creep, accelerated fatigue).
• 4+ years of experience working on neutron interactions leading to material transmutation or helium bubble generation.
• 4+ years of experience performing data analysis with a common coding language (Python, MATLAB, C++), data presentation, technical communication, and writing.

Responsibilities

• Advise engineering design decisions based on radiation effects on materials used within the radiation shield vault.
• Partner with neutronics engineers to predict dpa, analyze, model, and predict macroscopic effects on material properties including thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and mechanical strength.
• Lead testing campaigns to quantify impact of radiation on material properties.
• Perform literature reviews on radiation effects on materials of interest and distill the information into summaries for non-nuclear engineers.
• Operate in an environment with obstacles and changing requirements, balancing risks without compromising delivery.
• Partner with other internal Helion teams, external vendors, national laboratories, and universities to gather the required capabilities.
• Develop your network and represent Helion at technical meetings and conferences.

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Master's degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees