Plasma Diagnostics Summer 2027 Intern at Helion (Everett, WA)
Helion· Everett, WA· $57/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 Plasma Diagnostics Intern you will work collaboratively to conceive, design, test, and deploy optical diagnostic components and systems that help us understand the performance of our fusion machines. Non-invasive optical probes are essential to our understanding of physical parameters in the core of our plasma and allow us to fine tune the operation of the machine to achieve fusion. We deploy a suite of optical probes that measure a wide range of plasma parameters such as density, temperature, plasma shape, and many more.
You Will:
- Prototype and bench test optical diagnostics, for example polarimetry or components of optical interferometers
- Understand basic operations and bench test potential upgrades to performance (e.g., on polarimetry or interferometry)
Required Skills:
- Ability to work full time, onsite in Everett, WA for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks during summer 2027
- Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in Physics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, with relevant experience in plasma science
- Must be able to complete their current degree program and begin full-time employment no later than June 2028
- GPA of 3.0 or above
- Basic understanding of benchtop optical test and measurement
- Basic proficiency with optical fiber alignment
- General optical lab experience/ basic knowledge of laser and laser safety
- Proficiency with analysis software such as MATLAB or Python
- Optical modeling software skills such as Zemax a plus, but not necessary
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.