Light Amplification Lead (f/m/d)

About Focused Energy

Focused Energy is an international deep-tech company based in Germany and the US, working to commercialize laser-driven nuclear fusion. Our mission is to provide clean, safe, and virtually unlimited energy to the world. We are rapidly scaling and looking for talented individuals who thrive in building clarity and structure within fast-growing environments.

Your Role

As Light Amplification Lead, you will own the end-to-end technical delivery of the laser amplification subsystem. The amplification chain is the primary energy-scaling element of the laser system, so this role is central to translating ICF system requirements into an integrated, high-performing subsystem.

You will define the subsystem architecture, establish the technical roadmap, lead design and test activities, manage interfaces and risks, and develop the team and capabilities needed to take the amplification chain from concept through hardware delivery and integration.

What you’ll do

• Define and own the technical architecture for Main Amplifier systems from concept through design freeze, including topology, gain media, pump geometry, thermal management, ASE control, and interface specifications.

• Ensure that the amplification architecture and development activities remain traceable to ICF system-level laser requirements.

• Build and maintain the technical roadmap for Light Amplification, aligning development sequence, capability gaps, technology maturity, and program milestones.

• Lead the design, build, characterization, and integration of the amplification chain.

• Deliver subsystem performance to agreed specifications for energy, gain, beam quality, pulse contrast, and reliability.

• Own the technical risk register, define mitigations and owners, and escalate risks early—before they become schedule or performance issues.

• Define maturity gates for key amplification subsystems and technologies, and drive focused development activities to close demonstration gaps.

• Own technical interfaces with adjacent functions, including Light Generation, Light Conditioning, Beam Transport, and Focusing.

• Represent Light Amplification in system-level design reviews and communicate decisions, progress, dependencies, and risks clearly to technical and leadership audiences.

• Build and develop the Amplification team by hiring engineers and scientists, setting clear expectations, providing feedback, and growing technical and leadership capability.
  

Who You Are

• A PhD or equivalent experience in laser physics, photonics, or a closely related field.

• Demonstrated experience leading a technical team by setting direction, developing people, and maintaining effective communication across organizational boundaries.

• Hands-on experience with high-energy or high-power laser amplification systems, including solid-state, fiber, or diode-pumped architectures.

• Strong understanding of gain media physics, thermal effects, wavefront distortion, ASE, pulse contrast, and beam quality in amplifier chains.

• Experience taking a laser subsystem from concept through hardware delivery, characterization, and integration.

• The ability to own a technical scope, make decisions under uncertainty, and communicate clearly with both technical and leadership audiences.

• Experience working in a matrix organization with shared resources and cross-functional dependencies.

• A structured approach to requirements definition, traceability, risk management, root-cause analysis, and technical decision-making.

Nice to have

• Experience in an ICF, high-power laser facility, or defense laser program.

• Familiarity with chirped-pulse amplification architectures.

• Experience with diode-pumped solid-state amplifiers at the joule-to-kilojoule scale.

• Experience with coaching, mentoring, performance management, hiring, onboarding, and team building.

• Experience applying systems engineering and design-for-cost or design-for-manufacturing methods in a complex hardware program.
  

Why work with Us?

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

• Career Development: We invest in our people. This is an opportunity to join an early, growing company at the forefront of new technology, where you’ll have the opportunity to develop and grow your career.

• Collaborative Culture: Work with great people in a dynamic, international environment with top-tier scientists, engineers, and professionals passionate about solving global challenges.

• 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 and ownership in what we build together.

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

• Flexibility: Work should fit around your life, not the other way around. We offer the ability to work from our office, but some flexibility to work from home as well.

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

• Retirement Plan: If you decide on a private pension plan, we will finance 20% on top of your monthly contributions, plus loyalty incentives.

• Events: We organize regular events to foster team bonding, encourage collaboration, and build a strong, supportive company culture. Connect with colleagues across departments, share ideas, and have fun together, both in and outside of the workplace.

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.