Senior Applied Plasma Data Scientist

The role

You will develop and validate synthetic diagnostic models to connect experimental diagnostic signals with simulation outputs. This role focuses on improving how FRC plasma behavior is measured, interpreted, and modeled.

What you will do

• Develop and validate machine-learning frameworks for FRC plasma-dynamics
• Integrate ML models with existing simulation tools and experimental-diagnostic pipelines
• Reproduce experimental plasma conditions within ML modeling workflows
• Generate analysis scripts for post-processing, parsing model outputs, and visualizing correlations
• Collaborate with plasma-physics, pulsed-power, and transient-magnetics experts
• Communicate results through reports, presentations, and technical visualizations

Required qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Engineering, Applied Math, Computational Science, Machine Learning, or related field with emphasis on physics-grounded modeling
• 3+ years of industry or research-lab experience applying machine learning in experimental, simulation-driven, or scientific R&D environments
• Expertise with physics-informed or physics-constrained ML methods, such as differentiable physics, PINNs, scientific ML, surrogate modeling, or reduced-order models for complex physical systems
• Experience integrating ML models with scientific-computing workflows, simulation tools, or experimental diagnostics
• Proficiency scripting for data parsing, model analysis, and visualization (MATLAB, Python, or similar)
• Familiarity with magnetic diffusion, circuit coupling, or plasma-dynamics modeling in pulsed-power or electromagnetics systems

Nice to have

• Fortran or HPC exposure valuable

Benefits

• 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

About the company

Helion is a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, with the mission to build the world's first fusion power plant. The company has raised $1.5 billion from investors to develop fusion energy.