SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Helion is a fusion power company on a mission to build the world's first commercial fusion power plant. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Everett, WA, the company has raised $1.5 billion from leading investors including Sam Altman, Mithril, Capricorn Investment Group, Thrive Capital, LightSpeed Venture Capital, and SoftBank. Helion's prototype, Polaris, has achieved record-breaking plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius (13 keV), and the company is advancing toward its commercial power plant, Orion.
You will join as a Senior Materials Engineer leading the development of materials health monitoring systems for Helion's fusion generators. This role bridges materials science, diagnostics, and predictive maintenance—translating complex failure modes into measurable, actionable signals.
Key responsibilities include:
• Develop and deploy in-situ and ex-situ diagnostics to detect and quantify materials degradation under combined stimuli (thermomechanical stress, radiation, high electric fields, coolant environments) in fusion-critical components such as first walls, magnets, insulators, capacitors, HV interfaces, and seals.
• Translate failure and degradation mechanisms into measurable sensor signals and inspection methods, working cross-functionally with Materials, Research, and Engineering teams.
• Design and execute coupled-stimuli experiments and post-irradiation examinations (PIE) to validate diagnostic approaches.
• Build comprehensive test matrices and analysis plans linking microstructural evolution to sensor outputs and component performance.
• Own the materials diagnostics roadmap by converting risk assessments into specific diagnostic requirements (what to measure, where, how often, accuracy targets).
• Collaborate with design engineers to embed diagnostics into hardware while respecting system constraints and operational requirements.
• Partner with modeling teams to integrate diagnostic outputs into predictive models and maintenance strategies.
• Productize diagnostic methods and sensors for reliable, repeatable deployment in fusion environments.
• Document test plans, procedures, and design guidance; communicate results, risks, and recommendations across the organization.
You will report to the Lead Materials Scientist and work onsite at the Everett, WA headquarters.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of experience, OR Master's/PhD with 5+ years of experience, in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Applied Physics, Nuclear Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years (with MS/PhD) or 10+ years (with BS) of hands-on experience in at least one of: materials diagnostics, nondestructive evaluation (NDE), structural health monitoring (SHM) using strain, acoustic, optical, electromagnetic, or fiberoptic methods; data analysis and feature extraction for degradation detection (Python preferred).
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing coupled-stimuli experiments (e.g., thermomechanical, electrothermal, irradiation combined with stress).
• Experience embedding or integrating sensors into structural materials (ceramics, composites, polymers, or metals).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Background in fusion, fission, accelerator, or high-radiation environments.
• Experience with radiation effects and post-irradiation examination (PIE).
• Familiarity with high-voltage systems or safety-critical experimental environments.
