Build Engineer

U.S. Fusion Energy; Energy (IL); On-site; USD 138,000 - 182,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision plans

31 Days PTO (vacation + sick)

10 paid holidays + winter break

Up to 5% 401(k) match

Disability & life insurance

Parental leave

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Helion is hiring a Build Engineer in Everett, WA to drive the build, assembly, and deployment of fusion generator subsystems for integrated development testbeds. You will own manufacturing processes, work instructions, tooling, and collaboration with design and production teams to ensure manufacturability at every stage.

You will manage end-to-end lifecycle of parts, from purchase to final assembly, and contribute to continuous improvements in build processes and quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of professional experience in manufacturing, assembly, or integration of multidisciplinary hardware.
• Hands-on experience across mechanical, electrical, and fluids domains.

Responsibilities

• Own the build and assembly definitions for generator subsystems.
• Author work instructions for technicians for nominal builds and nonconformances.
• Design and manufacture tooling to enable efficient assembly and installation.
• Collaborate with production, integration, and engineering teams on prototypes and demonstrators.
• Drive excellence in configuration management, hardware quality, and pace of execution.

Skills

End-to-end ownership

Technical communication

Multidisciplinary hardware experience

Mechanical, electrical, and fluids

CAD model/drawings experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

Job description

About Helion

We are 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.

Location

Everett, WA

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

On-site

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Compensation

• $138K – $182K

OverviewApplication

We are 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 $1.5 billion from long-time investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group as well as new investors including Thrive Capital, LightSpeed Venture Capital, SoftBank, and others to propel us forward. Our current prototype, Polaris, has reached record-breaking plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius (13 keV). Helion is continuing to iterate and on the path to the world's first fusion power plant, Orion. 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.

What You Will Be Doing

Helion is hiring a Build Engineer to drive the execution of first-of-a-kind fusion generator assemblies. You will get to own the manufacturing, assembly, and deployment of subsystems for integrated development testbeds and fusion generators. You will work closely with design engineering and production to ensure manufacturability is represented at every stage of the design process. This is an onsite role located at our Everett, WA office.

You Will

• Own the build and assembly definition and execution for generator subsystems - may include large structures, moving mechanical assemblies, power transmission, vacuum systems, electromagnets, high-voltage capacitor systems, low-voltage harnessing, or radiation shielding
• Author work instructions for technician teams to support both nominal builds and nonconformance resolution
• Design and manufacture tooling to enable efficient assembly and installation of generator subsystems
• Collaborate with production, integration, and engineering teams to develop prototypes and manufacturing demonstrators
• Drive excellence in configuration management, delivered hardware quality, and pace of execution

Be an expert in the lifecycle of a part, from purchase to final assembly, to continually improve low-volume (<1000 piece parts) build processes

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field
• 2+ years of professional experience in manufacturing, assembly, or integration of multidisciplinary hardware
• Hands‑on experience across multiple engineering disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, and fluids
• Experience working within CAD software to make models and drawings (e.g. NX, Solidworks)
• Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of a build
• Effective technical communication across functional and organizational levels

Benefits

Our total compensation package includes benefits, including but not limited to:

• 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

Helion is an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the interview process, please let us know.

Compensation Range: $138K - $182K