Principal People Business Partner

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

At Helion, we're not just imagining the future of clean energy-we're building it. And none of it happens without our people. As a Principal People Business Partner, you won't just support the business, you'll help shape its direction. You'll be a trusted advisor to senior leaders, making sure our people strategy is at the heart of every big decision. You'll push for performance, move fast, and make an impact where it matters most. This role is for someone who's not afraid to challenge the status quo, who knows how to coach leaders to think differently, and who can spot problems before they surface. If you're driven to make bold moves, help teams grow, and turn big ideas into real results, you'll thrive here. This is an onsite role reporting to the Lead People Business Partner at our Everett, WA headquarters.

You Will

• Partner closely with senior leaders to guide business direction, connect talent strategies to company goals, and elevate team performance. Provide bold, honest coaching and hold leaders accountable for timely, high-impact people decisions
• Help scale strong leadership practices by embedding clear principles, offering practical tools, and building manager capability across the organization
• Drive and deliver complex initiatives that shape how we organize, lead, and grow spanning org design, leadership development, and cultural alignment. Influence across teams and functions to craft compelling narratives, gain alignment, and accelerate progress on critical people priorities
• Design scalable systems and processes that meet today's needs and anticipate tomorrow's
• Create thoughtful infrastructure that supports sustainable growth, operational excellence, and an exceptional employee experience

Required Skills

• 12+ years of experience across People/HR roles in high-growth, complex orgs (tech, hardware, research, or startup environments)
• A track record of influencing at the exec level-whether aligning on org strategy, delivering direct feedback, or holding leaders accountable to people outcomes
• Experience owning programs or initiatives with org-wide impact
• Fluency in core People disciplines, with the ability to connect them to business needs
• Operates with urgency, judgment, and autonomy. You know when to push, when to listen, and how to cut through complexity to deliver the right outcome at speed

Helion's compensation package includes a competitively benchmarked base salary, meaningful equity grants, and comprehensive benefits. Final compensation is determined through a holistic evaluation of your experience, qualifications, and our commitment to internal equity - ensuring fairness and transparency across our teams. We are committed to fostering a fair and equitable environment in every aspect of our operations, including compensation.

This is an exempt salaried role.

Annual Base Pay

$145,000 - $200,000 USD

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.