Helion · 14 hours ago
Manager, Plant Control Engineering
Everett, WA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$200K/yr - $240K/yr
7+ years expHelion is a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, focused on building the world's first fusion power plant. The role involves leading a multidisciplinary team to develop control systems for fusion power operations, ensuring efficient and reliable plant performance.
EnergyEnvironmental EngineeringRenewable Energy
Responsibilities
Build and lead a multidisciplinary team of software, firmware, and electrical engineers developing the full control stack for a fusion power plant — from embedded controllers to supervisory automation and data pipelines
Own the plant-level control system — both the closed-loop control of critical subsystems (thermal management, grid interface, uptime management) and the supervisory coordination layer that orchestrates overall plant behavior
Guide system design and implementation of hardware and software for reliable, real-time control, ensuring consistent plant performance during scheduled operations and dynamic grid events
Coordinate cross-disciplinary development between hardware owners, data analysts, and operations teams to translate machine capability and experimental intent into robust, testable control logic
Develop front-end control and visualization interfaces that support both rapid experimental iteration and long-term automated operation
Architect scalable back-end data systems capable of acquiring and correlating signals and events spanning nanoseconds to weeks — integrating high-speed acquisition hardware, streaming frameworks, and long-term storage systems
Drive design reviews, reliability improvements, and fault response strategies that maximize plant uptime and ensure graceful recovery from operational faults
Mentor and grow a world-class technical team, balancing hands-on leadership with long-term vision for automation and control of fusion plants at commercial scale
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related discipline
7+ years of engineering experience, including 2+ years in a technical leadership or management role
Proven experience leading or managing multidisciplinary engineering teams (software, firmware, and electrical)
Deep technical understanding of real-time or embedded control systems, including firmware and hardware interface design
Proficiency with software development and deployment in languages such as Python, C/C++, or Rust
Experience with control system frameworks (e.g., EPICS, ROS, or custom industrial control architectures)
Familiarity with analog and digital circuit fundamentals, embedded processor design, and hardware bring-up
Strong background in data acquisition and signal processing — from high-speed transient capture to long-term trend analysis
Understanding of networked control and telemetry systems, including message buses, data serialization, and fault-tolerant design
Demonstrated ability to deliver integrated hardware-software systems in complex, high-reliability environments
Excellent cross-disciplinary communication skills and ability to work across research, hardware, and operations teams
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
Company
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.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Helion has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2024 (1)
2023 (2)
2022 (1)
2021 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$1.04BKey Investors
Nucor CorporationSam AltmanDustin Moskovitz
2025-01-28Series F· $425M
2023-09-27Corporate Round· $35M
2021-11-05Series E· $500M
Leadership Team
David Kirtley
Founder and CEO
Chris Pihl
Co-Founder, CTO
Recent News
2026-01-12
2025-12-24
Company data provided by crunchbase