Mechanical Engineering Summer 2027 Intern at Helion (Everett, WA)
Helion· Everett, WA· $48/hr·
Role details
Helion at a glance
Helion is building the world's first fusion power plant to deliver clean, reliable baseload electricity straight from fusion, no steam turbine required.
Helion designs and builds pulsed, field-reversed-configuration fusion machines that fire and compress plasmas to fusion temperatures and then recover the energy directly as electricity, skipping the steam-turbine step used by most other fusion and nuclear designs. Its long-term fuel is deuterium plus helium-3, aimed at smaller, cheaper, factory-buildable plants that supply always-on carbon-free power to the grid.
$1.5B raised · latest: Series G · $465M · 2026 · backed by Thrive Capital, Sam Altman, Dustin Moskovitz (Good Ventures), Reid Hoffman
Job description
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 $1.5 billion from long-time investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group as well as new investors including Thrive Capital, LightSpeed Venture Capital, SoftBank, and others to propel us forward. Our current prototype, Polaris, has reached record-breaking plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius (13 keV). Helion is continuing to iterate and on the path to the world's first fusion power plant, Orion.
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: As a Mechanical Engineering Intern at Helion you'll be at the forefront of fusion technology development. Helion internships are designed to give real ownership to help train the next generation of fusion engineers. You'll collaborate on R&D efforts, explore potential system upgrades to enhance overall performance, and contribute fresh ideas as we work on next-generation machines. This internship will require solving engineering problems critical to deploying fusion energy to the world. This is a 12-week onsite internship at our Everett, WA office. You Will:
- Own and understand designs across subsystems in fields including electromagnetics, structures, fluids, thermal, and control systems
- Learn from historical engineering approaches, design novel hardware, and test your solutions
- Fix hardware issues as they arise on integrated fusion generators
- Apply both engineering first-principles and method-based thinking to challenging problems
- Learn from experts to expand your engineering skillset and domain knowledge
Required Skills:
- Ability to work full time, onsite in Everett, WA for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks during summer 2027
- Graduation date of Winter 2027 or Spring 2028
- Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
- GPA of 3.0 or above
- Hands-on exposure to a variety of engineering disciplines (e.g. mechanical, electrical, fluids)
- Experience with 3D CAD software (e.g. NX, SolidWorks) and GD&T
#LI-Onsite #LI-KL1
Why work at Helion
- Culture: “Urgency, rigor, ownership, and hard truths” – a mission‑driven environment focused on solving the hardest problems in fusion engineering.
- Work: Hands‑on with real hardware (capacitors, magnets, plasma diagnostics) across mechanical, electrical, and physics disciplines.
- Location: Based in the Pacific Northwest (Everett & Chelan County) with immediate access to skiing, hiking, and water sports.
- Benefits: Premier medical/vision/dental (fully employer‑paid options), HSA contributions, wellness stipend, 5% 401(k) match, stock options, up to 12 weeks paid parental leave + 4 weeks for birthing parents, 21 vacation days, 10 sick days, 11 holidays + winter break.
- Hybrid/Remote: Not explicitly stated; roles appear to be on‑site in Washington (given the hardware‑focused nature).
- Open Roles: Engineers (mechanical, electrical, simulation, controls), magnet analysts, experimental scientists, technicians, machinists – over 100 positions listed.