Job Application for Fuel Cycle Engineering Summer 2026 Intern at Helion Energy

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:

Helion’s Fuel Cycle Team is focused on recycling gas from the machine’s vacuum system, separating unspent fuel from fusion byproducts. As an intern, you will work on these separation systems, learning the technology and related systems (vacuum, cryogenics, etc.). Your tasks will include optimizing system parameters, designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and modifying the test setup. At the end of the internship, you will present your findings and recommendations. This is a 12-week onsite internship at our Everett, WA office.

You Will:

Learn and operate a separation technology used in Helion’s fuel cycle, while understanding the system on a conceptual level
Adhere to safety protocols and gain hands-on experience with the system operation
Optimize specific system parameters and present a report detailing your process and results at the end of the internship
Explore and/or implement system improvements and conduct independent experiments to further enhance the technology

Required Skills:

Ability to work full time, onsite in Everett, WA for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks during summer 2026
Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Graduate (Masters or PhD) degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering
GPA of 3.5 or above
Strong understanding of engineering principles like thermodynamics, fluids, mass transfer, heat transfer, and mechanics
Proficiency in data analysis and familiarity with software tools (MATLAB, Python, Excel)
Ability to learn how a system operates and run it independently
Basic understanding of chemistry and steady-state systems (undergraduate level)

Base Pay:

$30 / hour

#LI-Onsite #LI-TM1

Compensation and Benefits

At Helion, we are committed to fostering an equitable environment in every aspect of our operations, including compensation. For our internships, compensation is paid at an hourly base rate and is competitively benchmarked. All interns will also receive a one-time stipend at the start of their internship. Note that compensation for our internships is non-negotiable. Benefits will include paid holidays, sick time, wellness stipend, company and team events, and more to ensure a great experience for all of our interns!

Interns receive a $5,000 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.

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Fuel Cycle Engineering Summer 2026 Intern

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