Controls Systems & HMI Engineer

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 $600 million from investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group 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).

Now we are working toward Polaris, which will be the first machine to demonstrate electricity from fusion, making this a great time to join Helion! Bring your skills, experiences, and determination to make a difference in the world. Together, we can make a future with unlimited clean electricity from fusion a reality.

What You Will Be Doing:

We are looking for an engineer to help develop, maintain, and improve our plasma control and data acquisition systems. These systems are critical for operating and monitoring the health and performance of our fusion devices. You will work closely with other engineers to define and verify system functionality and integration. This will include working on all aspects of the systems, including but not limited to GUI/HMI design, state-machine development & programming, hardware integration, fast data acquisition, data visualization, network communication, and system documentation.

You Will:

• Support the development of LabVIEW-based control systems utilizing PXIe/cRIO/RIO hardware running in Windows and/or Linux RT environment
• Develop novel GUI solutions for machine control & health monitoring, and display of test data
• Program and integrate modular sub-systems based on industrial control hardware such as cRIOs, and PLCs into broader control systems
• Incorporate and maintain network communication in control and DAQ systems
• Utilize industry communication protocols (e.g. RS-232, VISA) to communicate with and control remote hardware such as flow controllers, gauge controllers, turbopumps, and oscilloscopes, etc.
• Define, develop, and execute pre-deployment bench testing and control system verification
• Develop and execute control system deployment plans, including performing system commissioning and providing operational troubleshooting support
• Integrate sensors into data acquisition systems for recording machine and physics diagnostics
• Develop and maintain detailed documentation of system hardware and software
• Communicate progress, challenges, and opportunities to system stakeholders
  
  

Required Skills:

• B.S. in computer science, or electrical or mechanical engineering or related field of study and 3 years of relevant experience or M.S. and 1 years of relevant experience
• Ability to write software in LabVIEW
• Experience owning the specification, development, implementation, and support of control and data acquisition software for complex systems
• Demonstrate successful development of a control system from concept to completion
• Experience with LabVIEW-based control system and GUI design
• Proficiency with at least one National Instruments hardware including PXI, PXIe, or cRIO
• Familiarity with communication protocols: i.e. UART, RS-232, TCP/IP, SPI, I2C, MODBUS
• Experience programming automation/industrial hardware (e.g. Microcontrollers, PLCs, or cRIOs, etc.)
• Ability to draft detailed system documentation to include well documented code, and system electrical schematics, block diagrams, and manuals
• Demonstrate ability to meet aggressive timelines without sacrificing quality
• Ability to work through and solve highly complex engineering problems
• Ability to take initiative and work independently, and as part of a team
• Thrive working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment
• Strong desire to learn, innovate, and grow
  
  

The pay range for this position is $115k-175k. This pay range may be inclusive of several career levels and will be narrowed based on several factors, including the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Benefits And Compensation

Our total compensation package includes generous equity and 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)
• 13 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
  
  

NOTE: Underrepresented people are less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of the job's requirements. We believe in hiring people, not checklists, and encourage you to apply even if you do not check all of the boxes. If this job isn't the one, we have many other openings that may be a fit.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. If we reach out to you to begin an interview process, we will also ask if you require any reasonable accommodation at that time.