Senior Software Engineer, Plant Control

Employer 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

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Plant Control team, you will design, build, and scale the software systems that operate Helion’s fusion generators and the Orion fusion power plant. You will work across control systems, diagnostics, data infrastructure, operator interfaces, automation, and integration with electrical, mechanical, firmware, and science teams.

This is a generalist software role for someone who is comfortable moving between architecture and implementation, prototypes and production systems, and high-level plant design and hands-on machine operation. You will own software that interfaces with real hardware, supports rapid engineering iteration, and helps turn experimental fusion systems into reliable power plant infrastructure.

You will work onsite at our Everett, WA office.

You Will

Design, build, and maintain software for plant control, diagnostics, automation, and operator workflows

Own interfaces that connect distributed sensors, actuators, controllers, databases, and visualization tools

Design and build reliable tools for monitoring machine health, system performance, test execution, and plant operations

Create and improve graphical user interfaces for engineers, operators, and scientists working with fusion machines and testbeds

Architect and implement software that supports real-time control, data acquisition, and system coordination

Work with Electrical Engineering, Firmware, Mechanical Engineering, IT, Operations, and Science teams to integrate software with complex hardware systems

Improve the reliability, usability, and scalability of Helion’s internal control and diagnostic platforms

Investigate and introduce new tools, frameworks, and infrastructure that accelerate engineering development

Apply first-principles thinking to ambiguous technical problems where the right answer is not yet obvious

Required Skills

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience

5+ years of professional software engineering experience

Demonstrated experience of end-to-end ownership of complex software projects

Strong programming ability in a systems programming language such as C++, Rust, or similar

Experience with Python or another high-level orchestration language

Experience building software that interfaces with hardware, sensors, instruments, control systems, or other real-world systems

Comfortable working in Linux environments

Experience designing maintainable software systems, including testing, version control, debugging, and deployment practices

Ability to work across the full software lifecycle, from requirements gathering and prototyping through production support

Strong systems-level problem-solving skills and ability to debug issues across software, hardware, networks, and data flows

Ability to collaborate closely with engineers and scientists from multiple disciplines

Willingness to work onsite and stay close to the hardware, operators, and users of the systems you build

Desired Skills

Experience with distributed control systems, industrial automation, SCADA, PLCs, or machine control

Experience with the V-model of development, including requirements definition, verification, validation, and traceability

Experience with precision timing, synchronization, PTP, or deterministic systems

Experience with embedded Linux, real-time systems, or low-level systems programming

Experience with time-series databases, data pipelines, and visualization tools such as InfluxDB, Grafana, or similar platforms

Experience building operator interfaces, internal engineering tools, dashboards, or data-rich GUIs

Experience with Docker, CI/CD, configuration management, or deployment automation

Experience working in high-energy systems, aerospace, robotics, manufacturing, power systems, scientific instrumentation, or other complex hardware environments

#LI-Onsite #LI-KL1

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.