Director of Engineering, R&D

Overview

Lead R&D and operations to accelerate fusion generator development and testing.

Key Responsibilities

• team leadership
• strategy roadmap
• experiment campaigns
• data flow
• rapid iteration
• uptime optimization

Tasks

-Lead and Grow a World-Class Team: Manage a cross-disciplinary team of experimental scientists and engineers focused on fast paced experimentation -Define Long-Term Strategy: Develop a strategic roadmap for future machine design, production, and testing capabilities. Define pathway to delivering and operating fusion power plants, including the operational infrastructure, training and safety -Shape Operation Campaigns: Partner with Helion's Science and Engineering teams to execute high-impact experimental programs in plasma physics and generator operations. Overseeing the team responsible for implementing several multimillion-dollar research and engineering project simultaneously -Promote Data Transparency: Ensure seamless data flow between Operations, Engineering, Production, and Research teams to enable informed design decisions for future generations of fusion machines -Accelerate Fusion Development: Set the standard for rapid iteration and data-driven development of Helion's fusion generators and plasma systems -Maximize Uptime: Improve operational efficiency, reliability, and turnaround time of fusion generator tests through process optimization, tooling development, and coordination with engineering teams

Requirements

• master's
• leadership
• program management
• team management
• r&d leadership
• experimental design

What You Bring

-Demonstrated ability to apply first-principles thinking and analytical rigor to solve engineering and scientific challenges -Cross-functional leadership and collaboration skills with experience guiding diverse technical teams -7+ years managing large, technically challenging programs with full schedule and resource ownership -Master's degree in engineering or physics -5+ years of experience managing technical teams, including managing managers -10+ years of experience in R&D and operational leadership within engineering environments -Expertise in experimental design and data collection for complex multi-physics systems

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Benefits

-Paid parental leave and support (up to 16 weeks) -Medical, Dental, and Vision plans for employees and their families -Short term disability, long term disability, and life insurance -Up to 5% employer 401(k) match -31 Days of PTO (21 vacation days and 10 sick days) -Annual wellness stipend -10 Paid holidays, plus company-wide winter break

About Helion

-Pursues a bold vision: taming the power of stars on Earth through fusion energy. -Develops magneto-inertial fusion technology, merging plasma at extreme speeds and capturing energy directly. -Pioneers in aneutronic fusion, recycling byproducts to generate helium-3, a sustainable fuel source. -Shifts from lab-scale to industrial-scale fusion with the Polaris device, supported by legal agreements. -Aims for rapid iteration with reactor designs capable of one pulse per second, enabling modular fusion systems.

Sector Specialisms