Principal Operations Systems Engineer

Helion; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

PTO 31 days (21 vacation, 10 sick)

10 paid holidays + winter break

Up to 5% 401(k) match

Disability & life insurance

Parental leave

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Helion is hiring an experienced Principal Operations Systems Engineer to enable manufacturing execution across material flow, inventory, logistics, production, and shop floor operations at our Everett, WA site. You will work at the intersection of Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Factory Automation, and Software Engineering, reporting to the Director, Manufacturing Operational Excellence.

You will design and evolve systems, translate challenges into scalable workflows, and mentor peers

Qualifications

• 12+ years designing, implementing, or improving manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, warehouse, or operational systems.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing execution, inventory management, material flow, warehouse operations, and production support.
• Experience partnering across technical and operational organizations to deliver scalable solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve operational systems that improve manufacturing execution, inventory integrity, material flow, logistics, and production readiness
• Translate manufacturing challenges into scalable processes, workflows, and digital capabilities
• Continuously evaluate manufacturing operations to identify capability gaps before they become production constraints
• Partner with Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Inventory Control, Quality, Supply Chain, Factory Automation, and Software Engineering to deliver scalable, maintainable solutions
• Establish standards for operational workflows, data integrity, system implementation, and user experience
• Improve operational visibility through meaningful metrics, dashboards, and decision-support tools
• Drive continuous improvement by simplifying workflows, improving data quality, reducing manual work, and increasing operational efficiency
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor, influencing cross-functional initiatives through expertise, collaboration, and sound engineering judgment
• Mentor engineers and promote scalable problem solving and continuous improvement across the organization

Skills

Manufacturing execution

Inventory management

Material flow

Cross-functional collaboration

Systems engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related technical discipline

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:

Helion is building the world's first commercial fusion power plant. Achieving that mission requires operational systems that scale as rapidly as our technology.

As Principal Operations Systems Engineer, you will define how operational systems enable manufacturing execution across material flow, inventory, logistics, production, and shop floor operations. You will work at the intersection of Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Factory Automation, and Software Engineering to solve complex operational problems that directly impact Helion's ability to scale. This is an onsite role that reports directly to the Director, Manufacturing Operational Excellence at our Everett, WA office.

You Will:

• Design and evolve operational systems that improve manufacturing execution, inventory integrity, material flow, logistics, and production readiness
• Translate manufacturing challenges into scalable processes, workflows, and digital capabilities
• Continuously evaluate manufacturing operations to identify capability gaps before they become production constraints
• Partner with Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Inventory Control, Quality, Supply Chain, Factory Automation, and Software Engineering to deliver scalable, maintainable solutions
• Establish standards for operational workflows, data integrity, system implementation, and user experience
• Improve operational visibility through meaningful metrics, dashboards, and decision-support tools
• Drive continuous improvement by simplifying workflows, improving data quality, reducing manual work, and increasing operational efficiency
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor, influencing cross-functional initiatives through expertise, collaboration, and sound engineering judgment
• Mentor engineers and promote scalable problem solving and continuous improvement across the organization

Required Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related technical discipline
• 12+ years designing, implementing, or improving manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, warehouse, or operational systems
• Demonstrated success solving complex operational challenges through process, systems, and technology integration
• Strong understanding of manufacturing execution, inventory management, material flow, warehouse operations, and production support
• Experience partnering across technical and operational organizations to deliver scalable solutions

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.