Senior Process Engineer

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:

You will own the development of capacitor manufacturing processes used for energy storage in Helion's fusion generators. The position provides a unique opportunity to develop in-house expertise on all aspects of capacitor manufacturing. You will accelerate Helion's transition from rapid prototyping to generator mass manufacturing, delivering on Helion's mission of providing clean electricity for the planet. This is an onsite role that reports directly to the Senior Manager of Manufacturing at our Everett, WA office.

You Will:

- You will own capacitor manufacturing processes and collaborate with stakeholders to develop and improve existing and new processes

- Working across technical teams to deeply understand how capacitors are used within our pulsed power circuits to optimize capacitor manufacturing process for Helion's top-level generator goals

- Develop in-depth technical understanding of capacitor manufacturing processes

- Conduct Design of Experiments (DoE) and perform statistical analysis to make data-driven decisions for novel manufacturing techniques

- Utilize process improvement techniques (Lean, Six Sigma, SPC etc.) to optimize manufacturing processes

- Collect process data and build analysis tools to notify operations teams on process health and Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

- Partner with Design teams to iterate on design and improve Design for Manufacturability

- Support integration of our factory MES system with automated manufacturing equipment

- Develop manufacturing documentation including but not limited to work instructions, equipment data sheets, troubleshooting guides, controls narratives etc

- Support commissioning activities of new manufacturing equipment and lines

- Troubleshoot down equipment, establish root cause and implement solutions to prevent reoccurrence

Required Skills:

- You have a bachelor's degree in engineering with a minimum of 5 years of manufacturing experience, and a love of rapid execution and hard problems

- High volume manufacturing experience

- Hands-on engineering experience in scaling throughput or rate of a manufacturing line

- Ability to apply physics based first principles to challenge design requirements and assumptions

- Experience communicating with and influencing partners across organizational lines

- Exceptional communication and successful partnership with supply chain and production teams

#LI-ONSITE #LI-AM1

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.