Helion · 4 hours ago
Fuel Cycle Operations Lead
Everett, WA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$128K/yr - $167K/yr
5+ years expHelion is a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, with the mission to build the world's first fusion power plant. The Fuel Cycle Operations Lead will oversee fuel delivery, recovery, purification, and analytics operations, leading a team to ensure operational excellence and support Helion’s fusion prototype, Polaris.
EnergyEnvironmental EngineeringRenewable Energy
Responsibilities
Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team of operations engineers responsible for the commissioning, operation, and maintenance of fuel cycle systems supporting Polaris, including fuel management, exhaust processing, and gas analytics
Drive pilot-scale R&D programs to test, evaluate, and scale fuel cycle systems for Orion - defining testing strategies, guiding campaign execution, and translating results into design improvements and risk reduction for full-scale systems
Collaborate cross-functionally with Radiation Safety, R&D, Mechanical, Electrical, and Controls teams to ensure safe, efficient, and high-uptime operations while implementing process improvements
Establish operational excellence by developing key performance metrics, standardizing procedures and protocols, and ensuring all tritium operations remain within regulatory and safety requirements
Translate strategic goals into actionable objectives, managing month-to-month planning, schedules, and priorities to deliver reliable performance across both operational and development projects
Mentor and grow engineers, fostering technical depth, accountability, and career development
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field
5+ years of engineering experience, including 2+ years in an operations or engineering leadership role
Experience commissioning, operating, and maintaining pilot- to commercial-scale process systems
Experience managing a multidisciplinary engineering team in a fast-paced environment resulting in the on-time delivery of high-impact work
Experience balancing priorities between routine operations, maintenance, and engineering development projects
Strong record of mentorship with demonstrated ability to coach and develop engineers
Hands-on familiarity with chemical, mechanical, and fluid systems engineering
Comfort operating in a startup environment with change, ambiguity, and rapid execution
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
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Chris Pihl
Co-Founder & CTO
Recent News
2025-12-24
Crunchbase News
2025-12-18
Crunchbase News
2025-12-17
Company data provided by crunchbase