Materials Science Manager, Materials Diagnostics and Interactions

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 over $1 billion from long-time investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group as well as new investors SoftBank and Lightspeed to propel us forward. Our last prototype, Trenta, completed 10,000 high-power pulses and reached plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius (9 keV). We are now operating Polaris, our next prototype on the path to the world's first fusion power plant.

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 lead Helion’s Materials Diagnostics and Interactions Science team with a strong focus on developing and deploying critical capabilities that enable the design, testing, and monitoring of materials for extreme environments. You will oversee the delivery of key R&D tools and guide a team of subject matter experts to meet Helion’s materials innovation goals. This is an onsite role that reports directly to Director of Materials Science at our Everett, WA office.

You Will:

• Lead, develop, and support subject matter experts driving the development and deployment of new lab infrastructure, driving materials monitoring technologies and developing predictive models to extend material performance and reliability

• Own and manage the delivery of Helion’s R&D materials needs such as implementation of equipment and methodology to condition materials including an ion beam and H/He implantation, development of in-situ materials monitoring techniques to optimize operational conditions that lengthen materials service life, and development of data models to quantify impact of radiation on materials’ health

• Translate annual goals into objective tasks and manage month-to-month planning towards completing goals and objectives. Drive schedule ownership to accelerate the completion of milestones

• Build and manage a network of collaborative relationships, both internally and externally, to develop new materials that can survive a fusion environment

Required Skills:

• Experience with data-driven Multiphysics modeling including knowledge of MATLAB, COMSOL, and/or Python

• Experience setting up large infrastructure and complex equipment

• Deep knowledge of NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) technologies to monitor materials integrity

• The ideal candidate would have a bias for action, know how to organize the team to execute with urgency, and favor learning through rapid prototyping

• Experience (i) managing an R&D team that delivered a high-impact final product, (ii) expanding a talent-dense team via a hiring process, and (iii) owning the schedule for a critical path facet of a milestone project

• Successful and autonomous mentorship of employees of a wide range of expertise, experience, and backgrounds, demonstrated e.g., via several performance review cycles and successful coaching of direct reports

• Fluent in some people management systems (e.g., recruiting, timecard management, spend approval, and performance reviews) and applying company policies as described in an employee handbook

#LI-TM1 #LI-Onsite

Total Compensation and Benefits

Helion's compensation package includes a competitively benchmarked base salary, meaningful equity grants, and comprehensive benefits. Final compensation is determined through a holistic evaluation of your experience, qualifications, and our commitment to internal equity - ensuring fairness and transparency across our teams. We are committed to fostering a fair and equitable environment in every aspect of our operations, including compensation.

This is an exempt salaried role.

Annual Base Pay
$144,000—$217,000 USD

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.