Senior Linux Systems Engineer

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

The Senior Linux Systems Engineer will design, implement, and support a scalable, secure, and high-performance Linux ecosystem across Helion's R&D, manufacturing, and production environments. This role bridges IT, software engineering, and scientific computing teams to ensure Linux systems are reliable, automated, and well-integrated with broader company infrastructure.

The ideal candidate thrives in complex hybrid environments, is proactive in identifying inefficiencies, and takes ownership of driving long-term technical improvements. This is an onsite role that reports directly to our System Security Manager at our Everett, WA office.

• Architect and manage Linux server infrastructure supporting engineering, software, and research workloads across on-premise and cloud environments
• Automate system configuration and deployments using tools such as Ansible, Chef, or Terraform to ensure consistency, speed, and repeatability
• Develop and maintain monitoring and alerting for system performance, capacity, and availability using open-source or enterprise observability tools
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Windows, HPC, and DevOps teams to create seamless interoperability across mixed environments
• Lead troubleshooting and incident response for complex system and application issues impacting production or development workloads
• Enhance system security posture through hardening, patch management, identity integration, and compliance with CIS benchmarks
• Support and scale engineering compute clusters (e.g., build/test environments, batch compute, GPU nodes) ensuring high availability and efficient resource use
• Evaluate and implement new technologies that improve reliability, observability, and automation efficiency

Required Skills

• 8+ years in Linux systems engineering, systems administration, or infrastructure operations
• Deep proficiency with RHEL/CentOS, Ubuntu, or similar distributions in hybrid environments
• Expertise with automation and configuration management (Ansible, Chef, Puppet, Terraform)
• Strong scripting experience (Bash, Python, PowerShell) for automation and tooling
• Understanding of networking fundamentals, storage (iSCSI/NFS/SAN), and system performance tuning
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Podman, Kubernetes)
• Experience with version control and CI/CD pipelines (Git, Bitbucket, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions)
• Proven ability to document, communicate, and collaborate across technical and non-technical teams
• Experience with identity integration (LDAP, Active Directory, Entra ID) and endpoint security tools (SentinelOne, Defender, etc.)

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

$135,000 - $175,000 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.