Senior Electrical Engineer – Dielectric Materials Development and Analysis

helion; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision plans

31 Days PTO (vacation)

10 paid holidays + winter break

401(k) with up to 5% match

Disability and life insurance

Paid parental leave

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Helion, based in Everett, WA, is seeking a Materials Engineer to advance electrical insulation and dielectric materials for high-voltage fusion applications. This onsite role reports to the Materials Science Manager and focuses on material development, validation, and deployment for extreme environments.

The candidate will lead experiments, establish test methods, and translate results into actionable design guidance for Helion's next-generation systems, balancing performance with production

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years hands-on work with insulating and dielectric materials.
• Experience designing, executing and interpreting electrical tests.
• Proven success in qualifying ceramics or dielectrics for large systems.
• Experience leading or coordinating R&D programs with milestones.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary projects to evaluate electrical performance of dielectric materials for high-voltage fusion-relevant operation.
• Define electrical requirements, test methods, and acceptance criteria for insulating materials.
• Design and execute experiments to measure dielectric strength, resistivity, permittivity, and loss under combined loading.
• Translate material test results into engineering requirements and design recommendations.
• Serve as Helion's subject-matter expert on dielectric materials and high-voltage insulation.

Skills

Dielectric materials

Electrical testing

R&D program leadership

Cross-functional communication

High-voltage systems

Education

Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering

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 contribute to the development, validation, and deployment of advanced ceramic and high-performance dielectric materials for extreme electrical, thermal, mechanical, and radiation environments. You will provide critical support to work spanning material and component design, prototyping, electrical characterization, qualification, and manufacturing scale-up. This onsite role is based at our Everett, WA, facility and reports to the Materials Science Manager, Metals and Dielectrics.

You Will:

• Lead high-impact, multidisciplinary projects to develop and evaluate the electrical performance of advanced ceramic and dielectric materials for high-voltage operation under fusion-relevant conditions.

• Define electrical requirements, test methods, and acceptance criteria for insulating and resistive materials used in high-field magnet systems.

• Design and execute experiments to characterize properties such as dielectric strength, electrical resistivity, permittivity, dielectric loss, and performance under combined electrical, thermal, mechanical, and radiation loading.

• Translate material-level test results into actionable engineering requirements and design recommendations for Helion's next-generation fusion systems.

• Serve as Helion's subject-matter expert for dielectric materials and electrical insulation operating in a high-voltage environment, providing technical guidance across engineering and R&D teams.

• Own projects from initial concept and material selection through prototyping, design reviews, and qualification for production.

• Work effectively amid evolving requirements and technical uncertainty, balancing risk, rigor, and schedule to maintain program delivery.

Required Skills:

• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, or a related field

• An extensive understanding of electrically insulating and dielectric materials, typically demonstrated by 5+ years of hands-on work

• Hands-on experience with electrical testing and materials characterization, including the design, execution, and interpretation of experiments.

• Demonstrated success developing or qualifying ceramic or dielectric materials for a commercial product or large, integrated engineering system, such as an engine, turbine, generator, magnet, or high-voltage assembly.

• Experience planning and leading R&D programs governed by defined milestones, technical reviews, and delivery schedules.

• Experience communicating material behavior and test results to multidisciplinary engineering teams and translating findings into design decisions.

#LI-Onsite #LI-TM1

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.