Director of Laser Engineering

Director of Laser Engineering (m/f/d)

Location: Darmstadt, Germany

Travel: Approximately 20%

About Focused Energy

Focused Energy is building the engineering organization and laser systems needed for laser-driven fusion energy. We bring together specialists across laser engineering and adjacent teams to tackle a complex, long-term technology challenge.

The opportunity

As Director of Laser Engineering, you will own the delivery of our laser functions at fusion machine and system level. You will lead a team of managers and technical leaders, , establish a single technology and functional roadmap, ensuring coherence of the sub-functions, , and build the operating practices that help the organization scale from individual expertise to coordinated industrial engineering.

You will connect immediate technical priorities to long-term FPP goals, make sure technology risks have clear owners and retirement plans, and represent Laser Engineering in technical reviews and executive-level forums. The role has a global scope, with most of the team and work based in the Darmstadt area.

What you will do

• Own and maintain the technology and functional roadmap of the laser function, linking critical work to long-term system goals.
• Lead and develop a team of five direct reports and a broader organization of 15+ indirect FTEs and students; delegate outcomes, coach managers, and build leadership capacity; scale the team by a factor 2-3x in the next 12 months. .
• Establish clear ownership, decision rights, technical review processes and practical operating rhythms as the organization scales.
• Steer partnerships and outsourcing strategies for laser technology development. Act as an escalation step in those relationships.
• Build a current picture of technology maturity, dependencies, gate reviews, and technical risks; maintain a risk register and drive actions that retire risks systematically.
• Strengthen technical documentation and working practices so that important context is visible, maintained, and usable across teams.
• Lead system-level architecture discussions by testing assumptions, weighing evidence and trade-offs, and surfacing gaps or decision points.
• Work closely with Laser Systems Engineering, Program, Lab Infrastructure, Digital Twin, Supply Chain, and the Reactor team to maintain alignment and resolve cross-functional issues; work closely with Legal and business development on IP strategy. .
• Represent the function at fusion-machine-wide technical review meetings and executive forums, communicating outcomes, risks, and decisions clearly.

What you bring

• A technical background in engineering, physics, photonics, or a related discipline, gained through a relevant degree or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience leading managers or senior technical leaders. You have developed leaders, not only managed projects or individual contributors.
• A record of building and delivering technology or engineering roadmaps in a complex environment.
• Strong first-principles reasoning: you can challenge expert views constructively, separate data-backed conclusions from assumptions, and make sound decisions when information is incomplete.
• Experience managing technical risks, dependencies, and cross-functional delivery.
• Clear, concise, outcome-focused communication with senior and technical audiences.
• High EQ, adaptability, and comfort working in an organization where priorities and structures may evolve.
• Willingness to maintain a consistent presence in the Darmstadt area and travel approximately 20%. Full relocation is welcome but not required; the on-site cadence can be agreed with the team.
• Fluent English. German is a plus, not a requirement.
• Experience in laser engineering, photonics, or complex hardware—or building structure in a scaling organization—is a plus, but not required. A PhD is not required.

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.