Senior Manager of People Operations

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 $1 billion from long-time investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group as well as new investors SoftBank and Lightspeed 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). We are now operating Polaris, our next prototype on the path to the world's first fusion power plant. 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: You will lead the team responsible for building and scaling people programs that power our mission. From onboarding, offboarding, and employee relations, you will build programs and processes that foster an engaging, high-performing, and people-centered culture. You will partner closely with leaders and employees to ensure our People programs are thoughtful, scalable, and aligned with Helion’s mission and growth. This is an onsite role that reports directly to Senior Director of People Operations and Talent at our Everett, WA office. You Will: - Lead and develop a team of People professionals focused on employee relations, employee experience, onboarding/offboarding, and talent development initiatives - Serve as a trusted advisor to managers and employees by guiding employee relations matters with empathy, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented approach - Own and continuously improve the end-to-end employee experience, ensuring employees feel supported, engaged, and connected throughout their journey at Helion - Design and scale onboarding and offboarding programs that create a seamless, high-quality experience while reinforcing company culture and operational excellence - Partner cross-functionally with leaders to drive engagement, performance management, recognition, and feedback programs that strengthen culture and accountability - Develop scalable people processes, systems, and workflows that improve operational efficiency, employee support, and organizational effectiveness Required Skills: - 10+ years of experience across People/HR functions, with 3+ years in a leadership role leading teams or major People initiatives - Experience in employee relations, employee experience, onboarding/offboarding, talent development, and performance management - Experience building and improving People processes, systems, and workflows with a focus on scalability, efficiency, and employee impact - Experience designing and scaling employee programs in high-growth, fast-paced, or startup environments - Strong program management and cross-functional partnership skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and drive organizational alignment - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience using employee feedback and workforce data to improve programs and decision-making #LI-Onsite #LI-IB1 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