Principal Manufacturing Engineer: Scale-Up & Automation

U.S. Fusion Energy; Energy (IL); On-site; USD 214,000 - 255,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

31 Days of PTO

10 Paid holidays

401(k) match

Disability and life insurance

Parental leave

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Helion is seeking a Principal Manufacturing Engineer to define and drive the architecture of our manufacturing systems as we scale from prototype builds to high-volume production. You will own manufacturing system strategy, lead the development of custom equipment and production systems, and serve as a technical authority across Manufacturing, Design, and Production.

This role operates in a highly ambiguous, first-of-a-kind environment and requires balancing near-term execution with long-term

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, automation, or production systems.
• Ownership of manufacturing systems or production lines from concept through production ramp at scale.
• Experience defining systems, processes, or architecture in ambiguous, first-of-a-kind environments.
• Proven track record of leading large, cross-functional engineering initiatives with broad organizational impact.

Responsibilities

• Define manufacturing system architecture and long-term scalability strategy across production lines and future factory builds.
• Own and drive large-scale, cross-functional initiatives that shape how Helion designs, builds, and scales manufacturing systems.
• Lead the development and commissioning of custom, precision manufacturing equipment and integrated production systems.
• Identify and prioritize high-impact investments across equipment, automation, and factory capabilities to enable step-change improvements in scale.
• Solve complex, ambiguous manufacturing challenges, making high-leverage technical decisions with company-wide impact.
• Serve as a technical leader and mentor, influencing engineering direction and elevating execution across teams.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Automation

Production systems

Cross-functional leadership

Mentoring engineers

Engineering leadership

Job description

Helion is seeking a Principal Manufacturing Engineer to define and drive the architecture of our manufacturing systems as we scale from prototype builds to high-volume production. You will own manufacturing system strategy, lead the development of custom equipment and production systems, and serve as a technical authority across Manufacturing, Design, and Production.

This role operates in a highly ambiguous, first-of-a-kind environment and requires balancing near-term execution with long-term