Manager, Generator Operations

Helion; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

PTO 31 days

10 paid holidays

401(k) with up to 5% match

Disability & life insurance

Parental leave

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Helion, a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, seeks a senior leader to develop engineers and scientists advancing the most powerful pulsed-fusion device to generate electricity. You will mentor a high-performance team, own schedules, and drive system requirements with cross-functional partners.

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Generator Operations, this onsite role focuses on plasma experiments, diagnostics, and large-scale vacuum systems, demanding rigorous ownership and technical

Qualifications

• 8+ years of engineering leadership in Aerospace, Nuclear, Mechanical, Physics, or related field.
• 3+ years in a technical leadership or management role.
• Proven ability to mentor engineers and influence career progression.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams with full project ownership.
• Proven experience designing, building, and operating complex tests with diagnostics focus.
• Hands-on experience across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Ability to apply first-principles thinking to solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly learn new technologies and take ownership of project areas.

Responsibilities

• Grow and mentor a team of multidisciplinary engineers and scientists.
• Drive schedule ownership and optimization across the team to accelerate milestone achievement.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Science, and Production teams to derive system requirements and meet program goals.
• Lead the team that owns the Control Room and operates fusion devices.
• Lead engineers and scientists in the design and execution of plasma and high-energy experiments.
• Educate and facilitate work performed by the team on large-scale vacuum systems greater than one meter in diameter.
• Apply expertise from plasma physics, integrated testing, or systems engineering to support operations.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Rapid learning

First-principles thinking

Project ownership

Multi-discipline teamwork

Education

B.S. in engineering/physics

M.S. in engineering/physics

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.

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:

You will lead the development of engineers and scientists that will bring the most powerful, controlled pulsed-fusion device ever constructed online, to generate electrical power. As a leader within the Science, Research, and Development team, you will grow and lead a high-performance operating team in the research and development of fusion technology and experiments, control high-energy systems, and design diagnostics for advanced plasma devices. You will report to the Senior Manager of Generator Operations, and this is an onsite role located at our Everett, WA office.

You Will:

• Grow and mentor a team of multidisciplinary engineers and scientists

• Drive schedule ownership and optimization across the team to accelerate milestone achievement

• Collaborate with Engineering, Science, and Production teams to derive system requirements and meet program goals

• Lead the team that owns the Control Room and operates our fusion devices.

• Lead engineers and scientists in the design and execution of plasma and high-energy experiments

• Educate and facilitate work performed by the team on large-scale vacuum systems greater than one meter in diameter

• Apply expertise from some of the following fields to support your team’s operation of our plasma machines: plasma physics, integrated testing, or systems engineering.

• Mentoring Operators in using critical reasoning to evaluate and improve technical solutions

Required Skills:

• B.S. with 8+ years of engineering experience, or M.S. with 4+ years of relevant experience in Aerospace, Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related field

• 3+ years in a technical leadership or management role

• Proven ability to mentor engineers and positively impact their career progression

• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams with full project ownership

• Proven experience designing, building, and operating complex tests with a focus on diagnostics and continuous improvement

• Hands-on experience across multiple engineering disciplines

• Ability to apply first-principles thinking to solve complex technical problems

• Demonstrated ability to rapidly learn new technologies and take ownership of project areas

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.