Senior Superconductor Engineer at Helion (Everett, WA)
Helion· Everett, WA· $134k–$180k·
Role details
Medical, Dental, And Vision Plans · 31 Days Of PTO · 10 Paid Holidays · Company-Wide Winter Break · Up To 5% Employer 401(K) Match · Short Term Disability · Long Term Disability · Life Insurance
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
Summary
The Senior Superconductor Engineer owns the full lifecycle of superconducting hardware, from simulation and design through build, test, and integration. This role involves coordinating across internal teams and external partners to qualify technologies for deployment in fusion power machines, analyzing magnetic fiel...
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:
You will own the full lifecycle of superconducting hardware—from simulation and design through build, test, and integration—while coordinating across internal teams and external partners to qualify technologies for deployment in Helion's fusion machines. You will report to the Senior Director of Science and this is an onsite role located at our Everett, WA office.
You Will:
- Analyze magnetic fields and their coupled effects (e.g., Lorentz forces, thermal loads, structural stress) using tools such as COMSOL and ANSYS
- Evaluate mechanical loading and failure modes in high-field superconducting environments
- Design, build, test, and iterate superconducting magnet systems in both standalone test stands and integrated fusion machines
- Develop experimental plans and diagnostics to validate performance under realistic operating conditions
- Analyze the impact of superconducting field configurations and architectures on plasma performance
- Collaborate closely with plasma physicists and machine designers to optimize system-level outcomes
Required Skills:
- Demonstrated experience delivering a functional superconducting system that has been successfully deployed or operated in a real-world application
- Strong background in electromagnetics, superconductivity, and multiphysics modeling
- Hands-on experience designing and testing superconducting magnets or related systems
- Proficiency with COMSOL, ANSYS, or equivalent simulation tools
- Experience working across disciplines including mechanical, electrical, and plasma physics domains
- Proven ability to independently drive complex technical projects from concept to execution
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.
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.