Senior Computational Plasma Scientist - MHD

Helion; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

31 Days of PTO

10 Paid holidays

Up to 5% employer 401(k) match

Short-term and long-term disability insurance

Paid parental leave

Annual wellness stipend

Job summary

A leading fusion power company in Everett, WA is hiring a Computational Plasma Engineer to work on plasma physics and magnetic field dynamics. The successful candidate will need a PhD and over five years of industry experience, alongside expertise in MATLAB and Fortran. Responsibilities include running simulations, analyzing results, and communicating findings. This position comes with a comprehensive benefits package, including 31 days of PTO, medical and dental plans, and a 401(k) match.

Qualifications

• PhD with 5+ years of industry experience.
• Knowledge of magnetic field diffusion and eddy currents.
• Experience with MATLAB and Fortran.

Responsibilities

• Run internal MHD code for FRC dynamics simulations.
• Calculate circuit response and magnetic loads.
• Perform analysis on experimental measurements.
• Collaborate with experts to expand technical skillset.
• Communicate results through reports and presentations.

Skills

PhD with 5+ years of industry experience in Physics or engineering

Knowledge of magnetic field diffusion and eddy currents

Ability to understand FRC physics

Experience writing scripts in MATLAB, Fortran, C, Python

Experience with MATLAB and Fortran

Experience using computer simulation tools

Education

PhD in Physics, engineering, or related field

Tools

MATLAB

Fortran

Job description

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 is hiring a Computational Plasma Engineer. 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:

• Run our internal MHD code to simulate FRC dynamics for a wide range of simulation conditions from the initial simulation setup to the post‑processing of the results
• Calculate FRC dynamics, circuit response, and magnetic loads to help develop our fusion generators
• Perform analysis to interpret experimental measurements by reproducing the experimental conditions with our internal MHD code
• Collaborate with and learn from 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

Required Skills:

• PhD with 5+ years of industry experience in Physics, engineering, or a related field of study with an emphasis in electromagnetics
• Knowledge of magnetic field diffusion and eddy currents
• Ability to understand FRC physics
• Experience writing scripts to analyze output, parse files, and create plots in a common coding language (e.g. MATLAB, Fortran, C, Python, etc.)
• Experience with MATLAB and Fortran
• Experience using computer simulation tools for circuit dynamics, fluid dynamics, transient magnetics, or plasma dynamics

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 values 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.