Senior Systems Safety Engineer

Who We Are

Power Light was co‑founded by our CTO, Tom Nugent, and Dr. Jordin T. Kare to change how the world distributes power. Our team has set numerous world records for beaming power over light, and won two NASA project awards. We are the first to develop a viable technology platform that demonstrates the safe long‑distance delivery of electric power, and we’re now developing products to meet the kilowatts‑over‑kilometers® needs of multiple industries looking beyond 19th‑century copper‑wire solutions.

At Power Light Technologies, we look for people who have three distinct characteristics: they are humble, hungry, and smart (not just in their area of expertise, but in common sense about people). All of these attributes are exhibited by the most successful members of our team, wrapped in real niceness and regard for others.

We value academic chops (especially for this position), people who are unfazed by equations, analysis, technical papers, and mastering something completely new. Our culture is one of urgency, accountability, and teamwork, with a healthy sense of fun and a passion for science. We show up prepared, engage in healthy debate, embrace deadlines, and make sure our workplace feels energizing.

We hire hands‑on tinkerers who love to make things work, and we give them a fantastic lab in which to explore ideas. In some cases, our technical contributors have previously invented products and have even launched their own successful companies. Successful team members are undeterred by extremely challenging, first‑of‑their‑kind problems to solve. They experiment, fail‑and‑learn quickly, and lock in the mastery of their explorations.

We hire professionals who know their craft: those that can design boards, assemblies, optical chains, code and processes with an eye toward successful, field‑ready, nicely documented products and systems.

Power Light is building laser power beaming solutions to transform the way energy is delivered. From the depths of the ocean to craters on the moon, our team of applied scientists, engineers, and technicians are bringing science fiction to reality.

A career here means you will interact with the world's leading experts in laser power beaming. Join our team – bring your skills, experiences, and determination – to help us “make a dent in the universe.” Together we'll revolutionize energy distribution.

As a Senior Systems Safety Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of our next‑generation complex multidisciplinary laser power beaming systems. Your responsibilities will include the modeling, analysis, optimization, and design of safety features through a novel safety‑based approach for both free‑space power beaming systems and power‑over‑fiber systems. This role requires a deep understanding of failure characteristics of system components, as well as expertise in formal system safety design and assessment methodologies.