Senior Process Control 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 $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: As a Senior Process Control Engineer, you will lead the development of the control strategy and automation architecture for Helion's fusion fuel cycle systems. You will work at the intersection of process engineering, plant design, and operations to define how a first-of-a-kind process is monitored, controlled, and operated safely and reliably. This role requires an engineer who can quickly understand an evolving fusion fuel cycle process, determine the appropriate control and automation approach, and own implementation from early design through commissioning, including the unique challenge of integration with the fusion machine controller. You will serve as the technical owner of process controls for a critical part of Helion's path to commercial fusion. You will report directly to the Fuel Cycle Operations Lead at our Everett, WA office. You Will: - Develop and own the control philosophy, control architecture, and automation strategy for Orion fuel cycle systems - Decompose mission requirements into control system architectures, instrumentation strategies, automation requirements, and HMI, alarming, and operational data system specifications - Lead vendor evaluation and selection and manage technical execution to ensure successful delivery, integration, commissioning, and operation of fuel cycle controls systems - Collaborate with the Plant Controls Team and external vendors to define system interfaces, develop ICDs, and integrate fuel cycle controls into the plant automation architecture - Standardize and oversee development of important deliverables including control narratives, instrument datasheets, I/O lists, loop diagrams, and cause & effect diagrams for fuel cycle controllers - Lead remote and onsite commissioning of fuel cycle control systems for the world’s first fusion power plant, located in Malaga, WA Required Skills: - Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline - 8+ years of experience developing and deploying industrial process control systems in complex manufacturing, chemical, energy, or related process industries - Experience supporting industrial control systems across multiple project phases, including design, implementation, commissioning and operations - Demonstrated expertise in process controls engineering, including instrumentation selection and automation system architecture - Experience designing industrial control systems with cybersecurity, reliability, maintainability and process safety requirements in mind, including familiarity with LOPA methodologies, Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), and SIF/SIL lifecycle activities - Demonstrated ability to independently navigate ambiguity, rapidly learn new technical domains, and drive cross-functional decisions Preferred Skills: - Experience with first-of-a-kind facilities, pilot plants, advanced energy systems, nuclear technologies, gas proc