Director of Laser Engineering

Job description

Xcimer Energy leverages decades of research on Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) combined with groundbreaking new laser architecture. Our mission is to deploy fusion power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. Xcimer has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution. Supported by leading investors, Xcimer is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change. Join us in powering a better world with inertial fusion! **This is a full-time, onsite role based at our headquarters in Denver, CO.** As the **Director of Laser Engineering**, you will lead the development, scaling, and industrialization of advanced laser systems that support Xcimer’s next-generation fusion energy platform. You will define the technical direction for large-scale laser architectures, build and mentor a high-performing engineering organization, and ensure laser systems are reliable, manufacturable, and scalable for industrial deployment. We are looking for a technical leader to apply their expertise in laser engineering, systems integration, and organizational leadership to positively impact the future of energy! ### Responsibilities - Lead the Laser Engineering department, including hiring, onboarding, mentoring, and performance development of engineering staff. - Define and own the technical roadmap for laser system development, maturation, scaling, and industrial deployment. - Oversee the design, integration, testing, validation, and commissioning of large-scale laser systems with strong emphasis on reliability, manufacturability, repeatability, and operational performance. - Collaborate closely with experimental physics teams to evaluate existing laser architectures, experimental results, and critical design tradeoffs. - Review and assess current laser technologies and architectures to identify technical risks, limitations, opportunities, and areas for improvement. - Drive technical decision-making related to future laser system architectures using experimental data, modeling results, and system-level performance analysis. - Partner cross-functionally with optics engineering, optomechanical engineering, pulsed power, materials science, controls, manufacturing, and systems engineering teams to ensure effective communication and technical alignment. - Translate experimental insights and lessons learned into robust engineering designs, specifications, and scalable production-ready systems. - Lead the transition from prototype and research systems to reliable industrial-grade laser products and infrastructure. - Establish engineering best practices, design review processes, technical documentation standards, and quality expectations for complex laser systems. - Identify technical risks across laser development programs and drive mitigation strategies to support program execution and long-term scalability. - Manage relationships with external vendors and partners supplying laser components, hardware, and subsystems. - Support system troubleshooting, root cause investigations, and corrective action implementation during development and operations. - Align laser engineering priorities with company strategy, schedules, budgets, and organizational objectives in partnership with executive leadership. ### ### Qualifications - **Education:** Advanced degree in Engineering, Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical field; MS or PhD preferred. - **Experience:** 10+ years of experience designing, developing, and delivering industrial laser systems. - Prior experience leading engineering teams, technical organizations, or major technical programs. - Strong understanding of laser system architectures, integration, and performance considerations. - Experience scaling laser systems from laboratory or R&D environments into industrial or production settings. - Strong communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills. - Ability to operate effectively within a rapidly evolving and fast-paced organization. - Demonstrated ability to balance hands-on technical leadership with strategic organizational oversight. - Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new laser technologies and system architectures. - Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. ### Desired - Direct experience with pulsed gas laser systems. - Experience with large-scale or high-energy laser architectures. - Familiarity with high-power laser operations and industrial laser infrastructure. - Experience supporting manufacturing, integration, commissioning, or field deployment activities. - Experience working within fast-growth startup or scale-up engineering environments.