Technical Program Manager, Orion - Reporting to the CTO

Helion
Everett, WA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to mid-level technical program managers comfortable with cross-functional coordination in a high-stakes engineering environment.

Best fit for

  • Experienced in managing complex technical programs across multiple disciplines.
    — “Coordinate Orion execution across science, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, integration, commissioning, and operations readiness.
  • Skilled at identifying and mitigating risks in large-scale technical projects.
    — “Identify cross-team dependencies, interface risks, schedule conflicts, and unresolved ownership gaps.
  • Comfortable escalating technical decisions to senior leadership when necessary.
    — “Ensure major technical decisions are surfaced quickly, framed clearly, and escalated to the right leader or executive when needed.

Things to consider

  • Must balance multiple priorities including performance, schedule, and cost.
    — “Highlight technical tradeoffs involving performance, schedule, risk, manufacturability, cost, reliability, and operability.

How to stand out

  • Demonstrate experience in building program management functions from the ground up.
    — “Build the TPM function for Orion as the program scales, including standards for dependency tracking, decision logs, risk reviews, readiness gates, and executive reporting.
  • Showcase past success in maintaining visibility into critical project paths.
    — “Maintain visibility into the plant-level critical path by integrating inputs from responsible owners, not by replacing their ownership of detailed schedules.
  • Highlight instances where you effectively communicated complex decisions to diverse teams.
    — “Ensure decisions and changes are communicated clearly to all affected teams.
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · CompanyLevel · Mid

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Coordinated Orion execution across multiple teams
  • Identified and resolved cross-team dependencies
  • Provided a concise view of program status
Typical background
Experience in technical program management

Skills & requirements

Required

Technical Program ManagementCross-team CoordinationRisk ManagementDecision-makingTechnical ReviewsExecutive Reporting

Preferred

Fusion PowerTechnical Leadership

Stack & domain

Technical Program ManagementFusion PowerClean EnergyScienceEngineeringManufacturingSupply ChainIntegrationCommissioningOperations ReadinessTechnical ReviewsDependency ReviewsExecutive Decision ForumsSystems EngineeringIntegration EngineeringProduction SchedulingTechnical LeadsCoordinationCommunicationDecision MakingRisk ManagementProblem SolvingUrgencyRigorOwnershipCommitmentEnergyClean Electricity

About the role

Original posting from Helion via Ashby

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.

Technical Program Manager, Orion - Reporting to the CTO

  • Coordinate Orion execution across science, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, integration, commissioning, and operations readiness.
  • Help subunit owners assemble and maintain an integrated Orion-level plan, while making clear that each owner remains responsible for their own schedule, scope, and commitments.
  • Identify cross-team dependencies, interface risks, schedule conflicts, and unresolved ownership gaps.
  • Ensure major technical decisions are surfaced quickly, framed clearly, and escalated to the right leader or executive when needed.
  • Highlight technical tradeoffs involving performance, schedule, risk, manufacturability, cost, reliability, and operability.
  • Drive the cadence for Orion coordination meetings, technical reviews, dependency reviews, and executive decision forums.
  • Maintain visibility into the plant-level critical path by integrating inputs from responsible owners, not by replacing their ownership of detailed schedules.
  • Track major risks, blockers, open decisions, and readiness gaps across the Orion program.
  • Ensure decisions and changes are communicated clearly to all affected teams.
  • Partner with systems engineering, integration engineering, production scheduling, and technical leads to connect their work into one coherent Orion execution picture.
  • Provide a concise, accurate view of Orion status, including what is blocked, what decisions are needed, where risks are increasing, and where executive help is required.
  • Build the TPM function for Orion as the program scales, including standards for dependency tracking, decision logs, risk reviews, readiness gates, and executive reporting.

#LI-Onsite #LI-KL1

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, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the interview process, please let us know.

Source: Helion careers (Ashby)

Similar roles