About Helion
What is Helion?
Helion introduces itself in every job ad as "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." Its stated vision is "a world with clean, reliable, and affordable energy for everyone."
The company says that "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." Its current machine, Polaris, is Helion's seventh prototype and "has reached record-breaking plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius (13 keV)." The next step is Orion, which Helion is building at Malaga in Chelan County, Washington — the site of what it calls "the world's first fusion power plant," where it broke ground in 2025. The company has signed "the industry's first two customers: Microsoft and Nucor."
Where will I work?
Everything is onsite in Washington State. All 109 live postings are located in Everett, WA, none are remote, and 98 of them use the word "onsite" explicitly. The careers page invites candidates to "explore fusion energy jobs in Everett and Chelan County, Washington" — Everett is the headquarters and factory, Chelan County is the Orion power-plant site.
Helion also sells the setting and helps people get there: "Headquartered in Everett, WA, most team members take advantage of the immediate year-round access to the ocean and mountains. For eligible roles, Helion provides a generous cash bonus for relocation and access to local moving experts through a third-party vendor."
What is the Helion team like?
The careers page headline is "Build hardware. Power the future," and the pitch is unusually candid: "At Helion, you will work on real hardware solving real engineering challenges. We value urgency, rigor, ownership, and hard truths because building first-of-a-kind fusion machines requires all four." It follows with: "The work at Helion is (really) challenging... Executing rigorously is a non-negotiable."
Hiring covers "engineers, technicians, machinists, and scientists," with open roles spanning "mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, plasma physics, power electronics, manufacturing, supply chain, and operations."
Work-Life Balance
Helion publishes exact numbers rather than vague promises. Under "Time off" it states: "Helion provides meaningful time to disconnect with 21 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 11 holidays plus a week of winter break." Job ads phrase the same package as "31 Days of PTO (21 vacation days and 10 sick days)" and "10 Paid holidays, plus company-wide winter break."
Parental leave is set out just as precisely: "Helion offers up to 12 weeks of paid leave for bonding and care with new child, with an additional 4 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents." All employees also get "an annual stipend to use on wellness and other supporting lifestyle services."
Nothing on Helion's site or job board mentions a four-day week, 32-hour week or compressed hours — this is onsite hardware work on a demanding build schedule.
Perks and Benefits
- Medical, vision and dental, with fully employer-paid premium options
- Dental and vision plans for employees and their families
- Up to 5% employer 401(k) match
- Stock options for all employees
- Up to 12 weeks paid parental leave, plus 4 for birthing parents
- Life, AD&D, accident and short/long-term disability cover
- Fertility and hormone health benefit from day one