Principal Laser Development Engineer

Position: Staff/Principal Laser Development Engineer

Location: Palo Alto, CA

Job : 597

# of Openings: 1

Staff/Principal Laser Development Engineer

Sciton is a Silicon Valley-based pioneer in laser, light, and energy technologies for aesthetic and medical applications. Our engineers helped bring laser products to market just a few years after lasers were first invented, and that same spirit of innovation still drives us today.

We are built on a strong set of values:
Selflessness, Candor, Innovation, Execution, Objectivity, Excellence, Learning, Ownership, and Clarity. With more than 500 employees worldwide, Sciton has been recognized as a USA TODAY Top Workplace for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2025.

If you want to work on meaningful technology that directly improves patient outcomes and be part of a company that values curiosity, ownership, and excellence, we would love to meet you.

In this senior technical leadership role, you will apply deep domain expertise in both lamp-pumped and diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) lasers to drive innovation from early-stage physical concepts through system integration and high-volume manufacturing. You will own the physics, optical cavity architecture, thermal management, and optical beam delivery design for high-power pulsed laser systems that power Sciton’s industry-leading clinical devices.

• Lead the concept, design, and experimental validation of novel flashlamp-pumped and diode-pumped solid-state laser resonators (e.g., Er:YAG and Nd:YAG).
• Perform detailed optical ray tracing, thermal lensing modeling, cavity stability analysis, and pump cavity efficiency optimization.
• Create and validate optical designs for beam delivery using fibers and articulated arms, handpieces with beam-shaping and imaging optics, laser photometry, and computer vision systems.
• Build, align, and characterize breadboard and prototype laser systems and verify performance relative to product requirements.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to integrate lasers and optical systems into compact, ergonomically optimized medical systems.
• Engage with optical component suppliers, crystal growers, laser diode manufacturers, and flashlamp vendors to specify custom components, review tolerances, and establish critical supply chains.

• Ph.D. in Optics, Physics, Physical Chemistry, Electrical Engineering (with optical emphasis), or a closely related discipline.
• 10+ years of direct industry experience designing, building, and commercializing high-power or high-energy pulsed solid-state lasers.

• Deep mastery of laser resonator theory, thermal lens compensation, non-linear optics, optical system design, crystal kinematics, and laser-tissue interactions.
• Advanced proficiency in optical simulation tools (Zemax / FRED / LASCAD) and numerical modeling tools (Mathematica/ MATLAB / Python / COMSOL) or equivalents.
• Strong hands-on expertise with high-power laser diagnostics: beam profilers, beam quality (M2), optical spectrum analyzers, fast photodiodes, energy meters, and high-bandwidth oscilloscopes.
• Proven track record of taking complex laser designs through concept phase to high-reliability production.
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills.

The salary range for this position is $220k - $260k. In addition to a competitive, market-based salary, Sciton offers the opportunity to participate in equity/stock incentive programs, a profit-sharing bonus, and a comprehensive benefits package, including a 401(k) with matching.