Optical Engineer

Focused Energy is a fusion energy startup with the goal of generating unlimited clean energy to responsibly meet future global demand. With the use and commercialization of laser-induced inertial fusion a clean and highly efficient power generation technology is coming within reach suitable to ensure a secure and scalable future energy supply.

We are seeking a skilled and driven Optical Engineer to design analyze and help realize the next generation of high-energy and high-average-power laser systems that underpin Focused Energys fusion this role you will be responsible for turning advanced optical concepts into robust manufacturable and operable experimental and production laser systems.

Your work will directly enable the performance stability and scalability of our fusion laser infrastructure ensuring that optical designs meet extreme power precision and reliability requirements while remaining practical to build integrate and operate.

What youll do

• Optical System Design: Design model and optimize complex optical systems for high-energy and high-average-power laser applications balancing performance robustness and manufacturability.

• Simulation & Analysis: Use advanced optical modeling tools (e.g. Zemax / OpticStudio) to perform ray tracing tolerance analysis stray light analysis and wavefront propagation to predict and validate system behavior.

• Performance Specification: Define detailed optical specifications including component selection materials coatings and tolerances to meet demanding power fluence and stability requirements.

• Integration & Commissioning: Partner closely with technicians laser engineers and mechanical and electrical teams during assembly alignment testing and commissioning of optical systems troubleshooting issues as they arise.

• System Optimization: Identify and resolve performance limitations related to aberrations thermal effects alignment sensitivity and stray light to ensure stable repeatable operation at high power.

• Documentation & Communication: Produce high-quality technical documentation analyses and design reviews to support internal development knowledge sharing and external collaboration.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work across disciplines to ensure optical designs integrate cleanly into larger laser mechanical electrical vacuum and control system architectures.

Who you are

• A degree in Optical Engineering Physics Electrical Engineering or a related field with professional experience designing and analyzing optical systems for laser or photonics applications.

• Deep hands-on experience with Zemax (OpticStudio) or comparable optical design and simulation tools including tolerance and stray light analysis.

• Strong understanding of classical optics Gaussian beam propagation laser physics and material behavior under high-intensity or high-fluence conditions.

• Comfortable moving between modeling and the lab supporting alignment testing debugging and iteration of real optical hardware.

• You bring rigor to your designs anticipate failure modes and care deeply about accuracy documentation and long-term reliability.

• You can work effectively with scientists engineers and technicians and communicate complex optical concepts clearly across disciplines.

• Preferred: Experience with MATLAB Python or similar tools for analysis modeling or automation of design workflows.

• Preferred: Familiarity with cleanroom practices vacuum-compatible optical design large-aperture optics or advanced components such as adaptive or deformable optics.

Focused Energy is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender perception or identity national origin age marital status protected veteran status or disability status.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance Focused Energy will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location level job-related knowledge skills and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation equity benefits.

Required Experience:

IC