Director of Laser Engineering

Director of Laser Engineering - Denver, CO (Engineering – Laser Engineering / Full-Time / On-site)

• 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.

• Education:
  
  Advanced degree in Engineering, Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical field; MS or PhD preferred.
• 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.

• 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.

$190,000 – $220,000 a year. Candidates may be considered for other positions at Xcimer Energy; the actual base salary will be determined on an individual basis and may vary based on job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The range is published in accordance with Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and California Equal Pay Act.

Xcimer Energy is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a…