Senior Software Engineer, Plant Control

Fusion Energy Base; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

PTO 31 Days (21 vacation, 10 sick)

10 Paid holidays, winter break

401(k) match up to 5%

Disability and life insurance

Parental leave and support

Annual wellness stipend

Job summary

Helion seeks a Senior Software Engineer for its Plant Control team in Everett, WA. You will design, build, and scale software that operates fusion generators and the Orion plant, interfacing with control systems, diagnostics, and data infrastructure.

You will own software across architecture and implementation, from prototyping to production, while collaborating with electrical, firmware, mechanical, IT, operations, and science teams onsite.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• End-to-end ownership of complex software projects.
• Strong programming in C++, Rust, or similar.
• Experience with Python or orchestration languages.
• Experience interfacing software with hardware, sensors, control systems, or real-world systems.
• Comfortable working in Linux environments.
• Experience designing maintainable software with tests, version control, debugging, and deployment.
• Ability to work across the full software lifecycle from requirements through production support.
• Strong systems-level problem-solving across software, hardware, networks, and data flows.
• Collaboration with engineers and scientists from multiple disciplines.
• Willingness to work onsite near hardware, operators, and users.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and scale software systems for plant control.
• Own interfaces connecting sensors, actuators, controllers, databases, and visualization tools.
• Create and improve tools for monitoring machine health, performance, test execution, and plant operations.
• Develop graphical interfaces for engineers, operators, and scientists working with fusion machines.
• Architect software that supports real-time control, data acquisition, and system coordination.
• Collaborate with Electrical Engineering, Firmware, Mechanical Engineering, IT, Operations, and Science teams.
• Improve reliability, usability, and scalability of internal control and diagnostic platforms.
• Investigate and introduce new tools, frameworks, and infrastructure to accelerate development.
• Apply first-principles thinking to ambiguous technical problems.

Skills

End-to-end ownership

Systems programming

C++

Rust

Python

Linux

Collaboration across disciplines

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field

Tools

Docker

CI/CD

InfluxDB

Grafana

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.

What You Will Be Doing

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Plant Control team, you will design, build, and scale the software systems that operate Helion’s fusion generators and the Orion fusion power plant. You will work across control systems, diagnostics, data infrastructure, operator interfaces, automation, and integration with electrical, mechanical, firmware, and science teams.

This is a generalist software role for someone who is comfortable moving between architecture and implementation, prototypes and production systems, and high-level plant design and hands-on machine operation. You will own software that interfaces with real hardware, supports rapid engineering iteration, and helps turn experimental fusion systems into reliable power plant infrastructure.

You will work onsite at our Everett, WA office.

• You Will Design, build, and maintain software for plant control, diagnostics, automation, and operator workflows
• Own interfaces that connect distributed sensors, actuators, controllers, databases, and visualization tools
• Design and build reliable tools for monitoring machine health, system performance, test execution, and plant operations
• Create and improve graphical user interfaces for engineers, operators, and scientists working with fusion machines and testbeds
• Architect and implement software that supports real-time control, data acquisition, and system coordination
• Work with Electrical Engineering, Firmware, Mechanical Engineering, IT, Operations, and Science teams to integrate software with complex hardware systems
• Improve the reliability, usability, and scalability of Helion’s internal control and diagnostic platforms
• Investigate and introduce new tools, frameworks, and infrastructure that accelerate engineering development
• Apply first-principles thinking to ambiguous technical problems where the right answer is not yet obvious

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Demonstrated experience of end-to-end ownership of complex software projects
• Strong programming ability in a systems programming language such as C++, Rust, or similar
• Experience with Python or another high-level orchestration language
• Experience building software that interfaces with hardware, sensors, instruments, control systems, or other real-world systems
• Comfortable working in Linux environments
• Experience designing maintainable software systems, including testing, version control, debugging, and deployment practices
• Ability to work across the full software lifecycle, from requirements gathering and prototyping through production support
• Strong systems-level problem-solving skills and ability to debug issues across software, hardware, networks, and data flows
• Ability to collaborate closely with engineers and scientists from multiple disciplines
• Willingness to work onsite and stay close to the hardware, operators, and users of the systems you build

Desired Skills

• Experience with distributed control systems, industrial automation, SCADA, PLCs, or machine control
• Experience with the V-model of development, including requirements definition, verification, validation, and traceability
• Experience with precision timing, synchronization, PTP, or deterministic systems
• Experience with embedded Linux, real-time systems, or low-level systems programming
• Experience with time-series databases, data pipelines, and visualization tools such as InfluxDB, Grafana, or similar platforms
• Experience building operator interfaces, internal engineering tools, dashboards, or data-rich GUIs
• Experience with Docker, CI/CD, configuration management, or deployment automation
• Experience working in high-energy systems, aerospace, robotics, manufacturing, power systems, scientific instrumentation, or other complex hardware environments

Benefits

• 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.