Manager, Quality

Helion; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision plans

PTO 31 days

Company holidays

401(k) match

Disability & life insurance

Parental leave

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Helion in Everett, WA is hiring to build and lead its quality function from the ground up, delivering first-of-a-kind fusion hardware with repeatable quality. You will design the strategy, processes, and culture that move quickly while embedding quality at every stage of hardware lifecycle.

As onsite Director of Operational Excellence, you will partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Test to prevent defects, mitigate risk, and drive durable improvements as Helion scales toward

Qualifications

• 7+ years in quality/manufacturing hardware roles.
• 3+ years leading technical teams and scaling quality.
• Experience transforming quality systems for large-scale hardware.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead quality org across QE, Supplier, Inspection, and Quality Systems.
• Hire, develop, and mentor a high-performing technical team.
• Design and scale quality systems, inspection strategies, and metrics.
• Own quality across hardware lifecycle: NCR, MRB, CAPA, root cause analysis.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to build quality early and improve process capability.
• Foster a culture where quality is everyone's responsibility.

Skills

Quality engineering principles

Supplier quality

Nonconformance management

MRB

CAPA

FMEA

Root cause analysis

Inspection planning

Statistical problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, or a related technical field

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

Build and lead Helion’s quality function from the ground up, creating the people, systems, standards, and operating rhythms needed to deliver first‑of‑a‑kind fusion hardware with repeatable, measurable, and scalable quality.

This isn’t a role focused on maintaining an existing quality system. It’s an opportunity for a hands‑on leader to design and build one. You’ll establish the quality strategy, processes, and culture that enable Helion to move quickly while ensuring quality is built into every stage of the hardware lifecycle.

You’ll partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, and Test to prevent defects before they occur, identify and mitigate risk, solve complex problems at their root cause, and continuously improve execution as we scale toward commercial fusion power.

This is an onsite role reporting to the Director of Operational Excellence and is based in Everett, WA.

You Will

• Build and lead Helion’s quality organization across Quality Engineering, Supplier Quality, Inspection, and Quality Systems
• Hire, develop, and mentor a high‑performing technical team that promotes ownership, continuous learning, and operational excellence
• Design and scale practical quality systems, processes, standards, inspection strategies, traceability, and metrics that support speed and rigor
• Own quality execution across the hardware lifecycle, including nonconformance management, MRB, CAPA, supplier quality, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, and Test to build quality in early, improve process capability, reduce defects, and increase first‑pass yield
• Foster a culture where quality is everyone’s responsibility, using structured problem‑solving and data‑driven decisions to identify risk and support Helion’s growth from prototype to commercial‑scale production

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, or a related technical field
• 7+ years of experience in quality, manufacturing, supplier quality, hardware engineering, production engineering, or a related discipline, including experience in complex hardware environments
• 3+ years of experience building and leading high‑performing technical teams and developing quality capabilities at scaleDemonstrated success designing, implementing, or transforming quality systems that improve consistency, accountability, and execution without creating unnecessary bureaucracy
• Strong knowledge of quality engineering principles and tools—including supplier quality, nonconformance management, MRB, CAPA, FMEA, root cause analysis, inspection planning, and statistical problem‑solving—with the ability to influence cross‑functional teams and drive durable results

#LI-Onsite

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.