Director of Materials Interactions & Diagnostics (Fusion)

U.S. Fusion Energy; Energy (IL); On-site; USD 236,000 - 272,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans for

31 Days of PTO

10 Paid holidays

5% employer 401(k) match

Disability and life insurance

Parental leave

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Helion, a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, seeks a senior leader for Materials Interactions and Diagnostics to design, test, and monitor materials for extreme fusion environments. You will oversee R&D tools, guide subject matter experts, and report to the Director of Materials Science.

This on-site role requires building infrastructure, developing models, and advancing materials that survive a fusion reactor.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of materials-related industry experience and 3+ years of management experience.
• Master's or PhD in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related fields.
• Proven experience leading R&D organizations delivering complex, high-impact technologies.
• Deep expertise in materials characterization, degradation mechanisms, and lifetime prediction.
• Experience with multiphysics modeling (e.g., Matlab, COMSOL, Python).
• Expertise in NDT and in-situ diagnostics.
• Demonstrated success in hiring, mentoring, and developing managers and senior technical talent.
• Ability to operate with high autonomy in ambiguous, fast-paced environments, balancing rapid execution with long-term strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic vision for Materials Interactions and Diagnostics, establishing long-term technical roadmaps spanning characterization, modeling, monitoring, and lifetime prediction in fusion-relevant environments.
• Lead, develop, and support subject matter experts driving the development and deployment of new lab infrastructure, driving materials monitoring technologies and developing predictive models and simulations to extend material performance and reliability.
• Own end-to-end delivery of infrastructure and platforms, including advanced materials characterization systems, in-situ monitoring technologies, and integrated modeling frameworks.
• Build and manage a network of collaborative relationships, both internally and externally, to develop new materials that can survive a fusion environment.
• Translate annual goals into objective tasks and manage month-to-month planning towards completing goals and objectives. Drive schedule ownership to accelerate the completion of milestones.

Skills

Materials characterization

Lifetime prediction

Multiphysics modeling

NDT & in-situ diagnostics

Leadership/mentoring

Autonomy in fast-paced environments

Education

Master's or PhD in Materials Science / Materials Engineering / Mechanical/Chemical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

COMSOL

Python

Job description

Helion, a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, seeks a senior leader for Materials Interactions and Diagnostics to design, test, and monitor materials for extreme fusion environments. You will oversee R&D tools, guide subject matter experts, and report to the Director of Materials Science.

This on-site role requires building infrastructure, developing models, and advancing materials that survive a fusion reactor.