Process Design Lead, Fuel Cycle

Helion; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

31 Days of PTO

10 Paid holidays plus company-wide winter break

Up to 5% employer 401(k) match

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Helion in Everett, WA is looking for a Process Design Lead to guide a team in architecting and delivering fuel cycle systems for their next-generation fusion power plant. You will set technical direction and influence strategic execution as Helion scales towards commercial fusion.

This onsite position demands a strong engineering background and leadership skills, ensuring effective collaboration across various engineering teams. Benefits include comprehensive health plans, generous PTO, and a supportive work environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering experience, including 2+ years in an engineering leadership role.
• Experience designing and integrating pilot- or commercial-scale process systems.
• Experience managing a multidisciplinary engineering team.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary team of engineers for fuel cycle systems.
• Drive design risk reduction through collaboration with operations and R&D teams.
• Set standards for design excellence and develop robust processes.

Skills

Engineering experience

Leadership

Process system design

Mentorship

Chemical systems engineering

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related 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 over $1 billion from long-time investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group as well as new investors SoftBank and Lightspeed to propel us forward. Our last prototype, Trenta, completed 10,000 high-power pulses and reached plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius (9 keV). We are now operating Polaris, our next prototype on the path to the world's first fusion power plant.

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

As Helion’s Process Design Lead, you will guide a multidisciplinary team of engineers responsible for architecting, designing, and delivering the fuel cycle systems that will enable Orion, Helion’s next-generation fusion power plant. You will set the technical direction for core technologies in the fuel cycle involving a variety of separation, vacuum, and cryogenic processes, ensuring they integrate seamlessly into Orion and future fusion platforms. In this role, you will also accelerate Helion’s risk-reduction efforts by identifying and leading projects to address critical technology risks and evaluate emerging fuel cycle approaches. Your leadership will influence the strategy, execution, and growth of Helion’s fuel cycle capabilities as we scale toward commercial fusion. This is an onsite role that reports directly to the Fuel Cycle Manager at our Everett, WA office.

You Will

• Lead, develop, and empower a multidisciplinary team of engineers owning the architecture, design, procurement, installation, and validation of Orion’s fuel cycle systems
• Drive design risk reduction by partnering with the Fuel Cycle Operations and R&D teams to test and validate design assumptions on in-house pilot scale systems and Polaris, enabling confident system delivery
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Special Projects, Mechanical, Electrical, Controls, and broader engineering teams to define interface requirements, deliver fully integrated system designs, and delegate work appropriately
• Set the standard for design excellence by developing and reinforcing robust processes for fuel cycle system design reviews, bills of design, risk analyses, and mitigations, and management of change
• Translate strategic goals into actionable objectives, managing month-to-month planning, schedules, and priorities to ensure reliable and on-time delivery of high-impact projects
• Mentor and grow engineering talent, fostering technical depth, accountability, and career development

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field
• 5+ years of engineering experience, including 2+ years in an engineering leadership role
• Experience designing, delivering, and integrating pilot- or commercial-scale process systems
• Experience managing a multidisciplinary engineering team in a fast-paced environment
• Experience balancing design work, validation testing, and development projects in parallel
• Strong record of mentorship with demonstrated ability to coach and develop engineers
• Hands‑on familiarity with chemical, mechanical, thermal and/or fluid systems engineering
• Comfort operating in a startup environment with change, ambiguity, and rapid execution

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.