Director of Engineering (m/w/d)

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.

About The Role

In this role, you will design and execution of the Balance of Plant (BoP) systems that make fusion power possible - from radiation shielding and gas handling to thermal management and heat recovery. This role is at the heart of translating fusion physics into practical power generation. You'll build and lead teams that integrate Helion's fusion generators with the systems that extract, move, and manage energy at scale. It's a rare opportunity to lead multidisciplinary engineering at the edge of what's possible and you'll have direct ownership of the systems that will define the world's first fusion power plant. This is an onsite role that reports directly to the VP of Engineering at our Everett, WA office.

What You Will Be Doing

• Build and lead high-performing engineering teams across mechanical, thermal, and fluid systems
• Own the design and delivery of critical plant systems - radiation shielding, fuel and exhaust gas systems, vacuum infrastructure, and thermal management
• Partner with nuclear, magnet, and systems engineering teams to integrate fusion generators into a cohesive power plant
• Drive cross-functional engineering execution - from early concept to detailed design, manufacturing, and test
• Set the technical bar for rigor, documentation, and accountability, ensuring safety, scalability, and reliability
• Continually raise the standard for ownership, execution pace, and design clarity across your teams
• Develop the next generation of Helion engineering leaders through mentorship and example.

Required Skills

• A degree in engineering or physics
• 10+ years of multidisciplinary engineering experience, including 5+ in technical leadership or management
• Proven success leading complex system design from concept through deployment
• Expertise in one or more of the following: mechanical systems, heat transfer, vacuum systems, or process engineering
• Demonstrated ability to build structure and focus in fast-moving, high-ambiguity environments while building teams that execute
• A leadership style centered that aligns with Helion's values - ownership, urgency, rigor and truth

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

$240,000 - $300,000 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.