Principal Applied Plasma Data Scientist

What You Will Be Doing

Helion is hiring a Principal Applied Plasma Data Scientist specializing in physics-grounded machine learning to accelerate experimental FRC plasma modeling. This role will focus on developing and validating advanced ML frameworks-such as differentiable-physics models, PINNs, surrogate modeling, or hybrid physics+ML systems-while integrating these tools with simulation and diagnostics pipelines.

You will support cross-disciplinary fusion research and contribute to high-impact modeling that informs experimental design and interpretation. This onsite position reports to the Experimental Science Manager at our Everett, WA office and plays a key role in advancing fusion electricity development.

You Will

• Develop and validate machine-learning frameworks for FRC plasma-dynamics, leveraging physics-grounded ML approaches (e.g., differentiable physics, PINNs, surrogate modeling, or hybrid physics+ML systems)
• Integrate ML models with existing simulation tools and experimental-diagnostic pipelines to enable hybrid physics + data-driven validation workflows
• Reproduce experimental plasma conditions within ML modeling workflows to support interpretation of magnetic diffusion, circuit response, and diagnostic measurements
• Generate analysis scripts for post-processing, parsing model outputs, and visualizing correlations between ML-based predictions and experimental results
• Collaborate with plasma-physics, pulsed-power, and transient-magnetics experts to expand the fidelity and fusion-relevance of ML-enabled modeling frameworks
• Communicate results with rigor and clarity through reports, presentations, and technical visualizations for research stakeholders

Required Skills

• PhD in Physics, Engineering, Applied Math, Computational Science, Machine Learning, or related field with emphasis on physics-grounded modeling
• 10+ 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; Fortran or HPC exposure valuable)
• Familiarity with magnetic diffusion, circuit coupling, or plasma-dynamics modeling in pulsed-power or electromagnetics systems

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