Systems Engineer, Laser

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 Laser Systems Engineer to join our team and help us shape the future of this role you will own the laser driver system through its full engineering lifecycle from early architecture through design integration commissioning and operational readiness ensuring that it evolves from an R&D platform into a reliable industrial-grade system for fusion power generation. Your work will directly enable the transition from experimental physics to operational fusion energy infrastructure.

In this role you will drive the laser system through its full engineering lifecycle from concept and architectural definition through preliminary and detailed design integration commissioning and operational readiness. You will act as the system authority for the laser driver ensuring technical coherence controlled evolution and readiness for safe reliable operation within an integrated fusion facility.

What youll do:

• Own the system lifecycle: Lead the laser system through defined lifecycle phases supporting formal design and readiness reviews (requirements preliminary and detailed design integration and operational readiness) and ensuring alignment between physics intent engineering implementation and delivery milestones.

• Define and manage system requirements: Establish and maintain system-level requirements (energy pulse shape repetition rate efficiency reliability lifetime) including traceability to subsystem requirements verification methods and acceptance criteria.

• Own verification and validation: Define the system-level verification and validation strategy ensuring requirements are demonstrably met through analysis test and commissioning at component subsystem and system level.

• Manage system interfaces and integration: Act as the technical authority for laser system interfaces defining and controlling boundaries between optical modules controls and timing systems safety and interlocks facility infrastructure (power cooling space services) and external partner deliverables to ensure robust and predictable integration.

• Maintain system baselines and change control: Establish and maintain system baselines manage technical change in a controlled manner and ensure configuration consistency across internal teams and external partners throughout the system lifecycle.

• Develop and maintain system models: Support the development and maintenance of a coherent system model (functional physical and performance-based) to support architectural decisions interface definition risk reduction and lifecycle evolution of the laser system.

• Bridge R&D and industrialization: Translate complex physics requirements into executable engineering specifications guiding the evolution from flexible R&D platforms to a reliable industrialized high-repetition-rate system.

• Support safety and operational readiness: Contribute to safety analyses interlock systems laser safety protocols and commissioning activities to ensure safe and compliant operation.

Who you are:

• Masters or PhD in Optical Engineering Physics Systems Engineering or a related field.

• 10 years developing large integrated complex systems in domains such as lasers energy aerospace or other high-reliability engineering environments. Experience with ICF-class laser facilities (NIF LMJ OMEGA or similar) is strongly preferred.

• Proven experience applying systems engineering lifecycle processes (e.g. ISO 15288) including requirements engineering architecture definition interface control verification and validation configuration management commissioning and operational handover within complex high-risk engineering projects.

• Ability to reason across scales from micro-optics to facility-level infrastructure and decompose complex systems into clear functional and physical architectures.

• Strong ability to synthesize complex technical information and communicate clearly with physicists engineers external partners and executive leadership; experienced author of technical documentation.

• General working knowledge of mechanical electrical and instrumentation & controls systems with the ability to learn and integrate across disciplines.

• Strong orientation toward robustness reliability maintainability and operability understanding what it takes to evolve from laboratory systems to industrial machines.

• Fluency in English required; German proficiency is a strong plus..

What we offer:

• Innovative Technology & Mission: Be part of a cutting-edge company working on groundbreaking research in clean energy and scientific discovery.

• Ownership: Take ownership from day 1 and drive impact by making decisions solving challenges and shaping the future of our company.

• Your Success is our Success: We offer a competitive salary and company ownership in the form of stock options giving you a direct stake in our success.

• Flexibility: We offer a hybrid setup giving you the freedom to work from our office while also enjoying the flexibility to work from home when it suits you.

• Vacation Days: We support your work-life balance by granting you 30 days of vacation per year.

• Snacks and Drinks: Our office fridges are never empty. Enjoy healthy snacks and drinks and a subsidized canteen with delicious lunch options daily.

• Mobility & Fitness: We partner with NAVIT for flexible commuting needs and Wellhub for access to gyms and wellness services across Europe.

• Events: We organize regular events to foster team bonding share ideas and have fun together.

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