Computational Plasma Scientist

Helion; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative fusion power company is seeking a Computational Plasma Scientist to join their Everett team. In this pivotal role, you will engage in cutting-edge research, modifying and executing advanced simulations to explore plasma dynamics and stability. Collaborating closely with a team of engineers and scientists, you will analyze experimental data, apply machine learning techniques, and present your findings to the scientific community. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of the world’s first fusion power plant, pushing the boundaries of clean energy technology and making a significant impact on the future of energy. If you are passionate about plasma physics and eager to take on real challenges, this role is for you.

Benefits

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

31 Days of PTO

Up to 5% employer 401(k) match

Short and Long term disability insurance

Paid parental leave

Annual wellness stipend

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Plasma Physics or engineering with emphasis on PIC simulation required.
• Experience with hybrid PIC models and HPC code packages is essential.

Responsibilities

• Modify and run hybrid kinetic Particle-in-Cell ion/fluid electron code.
• Communicate simulation results and findings with accuracy to scientists and engineers.

Skills

Plasma Physics

PIC Simulation

MATLAB

Fortran

C

Python

HPC Code Packages

CUDA

GPU Acceleration Techniques

Education

Ph.D. in Plasma Physics or related field

Tools

WarpX

AMReX

Kokkos

RAJA

CUDA

ROCm

SYCL

HIP

Job description

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 and 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). Now, we're turning up operations for Polaris, working towards delivering the world's first fusion power plant.

More than ever, it's a pivotal time to join us and have the opportunity to solve real challenges to create a better energy future. You will see first-hand how we value urgency, rigor, ownership, and hard truths, knowing it will take each to do what no one has before. Joining us, you will push the boundaries of what's possible and transform humanity for the better - because the world can't wait.

What You Will Be Doing:

Helion is hiring a Computational Plasma Scientist. You will communicate with engineers and scientists on a wide range of topics including plasma physics; magnetic field diffusion and eddy currents; circuit response and coupling; and structural mechanics. You will report to our Director of Research at our Everett, WA office.

You Will:

• Modify and run hybrid kinetic Particle-in-Cell ion/fluid electron code developed in WarpX to simulate FRC dynamics for a wide range of simulation conditions, from the initial simulation setup to the postprocessing of the results.
• Calculate FRC dynamics and global stability.
• Apply ML surrogate techniques to infer local electron transport properties in FRCs.
• Benchmark the code against past and ongoing experimental data.
• Perform pre/post-shot analysis to interpret experimental measurements by reproducing the experimental conditions with PIC codes.
• Learn from the experts to expand your technical skillset and domain knowledge.
• Communicate simulation results and findings with accuracy and rigor to both scientists and engineers by preparing reports, presentations, and graphics.
• Attend conferences and present select results to the broader scientific community.

Required Skills:

• Ph.D. in Plasma Physics, engineering, or related field of study with an emphasis in PIC simulation of plasma conditions.
• Ability to gain expertise in FRC physics.
• Write scripts to analyze output, parse files, and create plots in a common coding language (e.g. MATLAB, Fortran, C, Python, etc.).
• Experience using or writing computer simulation tools for hybrid PIC models.
• Experience with performance portable HPC code packages (e.g. AMReX/Kokkos/RAJA) or direct GPU/coprocessor acceleration techniques and device memory management libraries (e.g. CUDA/ROCm/SYCL/HIP).

Compensation and Benefits

At Helion, we are committed to fostering a fair and equitable environment in every aspect of our operations, including compensation. We ensure all our roles are competitively benchmarked and our total compensation package includes a base salary, comprehensive benefits, and equity grants, giving you a true stake in Helion's success. Final compensation is determined through a holistic evaluation of your experience, qualifications, and our commitment to maintaining internal equity, ensuring fairness and transparency across our teams.

This is an exempt salaried role.

Annual Base Pay: $120,000 - $160,000 USD

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).
• 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.

NOTE: Underrepresented people are less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of the job's requirements. We believe in hiring people, not checklists, and encourage you to apply even if you do not check all of the boxes. If this job isn't the one, we have many other openings that may be a fit.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.