Jobs at Focused Energy (focused-energy.co)

Senior Commercial Counsel will draft and negotiate complex commercial agreements, support specialist-equipment procurement and research collaborations, advise on partnerships and export controls, and establish contract templates and workflows. The role partners with business, procurement, R&D, scientific, and engineering teams to manage legal risk and enable commercial growth in a high-CAPEX deep-tech environment.

Own and operate Darmstadt IT systems including MDM, endpoint security, cloud services, device lifecycle, and access management. Lead automation and scripting, manage onboarding/offboarding, enforce security baseline (MFA, EDR, DLP, patching), create documentation/runbooks, investigate root causes, and provide end-user support while coordinating with IT teams and vendors.

Provides embedded engineering safety support for laser, cryogenic, electrical, mechanical, and control systems at the Austin facility. Leads hazard analyses, risk assessments, design-for-safety reviews, commissioning support, operational readiness activities, incident investigations, corrective actions, technical documentation, and safety training. Partners with engineering, operations, facilities, and central safety teams to ensure hazards are identified and mitigated throughout system design, installation, validation, and operation.

Perform hardware integration, qualification testing, optical and laser alignment, test-rig preparation, troubleshooting, upgrades, and campaign support for laser-driven fusion experiments. Document test results and issues, translate procedures into executable sequences, maintain lab configurations, and follow rigorous safety practices while collaborating with scientists and senior engineers.

Own the day-to-day operation of the Darmstadt office, including supplies, equipment, vendors, guest management, onsite events, all-hands meetings, and workplace processes. Improve office information systems, coordinate with colleagues across the company, and enhance the onsite employee experience. The role requires full-time office presence, strong organization, communication, initiative, and fluency in German and English.

Own the core software architecture for a laser-driven fusion power plant. Design and implement C++ and Python software integrating controls, hardware interfaces, calibration systems, data infrastructure, storage, and operator HMIs. Establish standards for testing, observability, reliability, security, fault tolerance, documentation, and releases. Lead technical decisions, mentor engineers, resolve architectural trade-offs, and collaborate across software, hardware, science, and operations teams.

Own the core software architecture for a laser-driven fusion power plant. Design and implement software in C++ and Python, integrate hardware and device interfaces, build automated calibration workflows, manage data infrastructure, and develop operator HMIs. Establish standards for testing, observability, reliability, security, documentation, and fault tolerance. Lead technical decisions, mentor engineers, and coordinate across software, hardware, science, and operations teams.

Design, build, test, and deploy production software for automated hardware calibration, image processing, machine data handling, storage, supervisory control, and HMI capabilities. Collaborate with software, controls, systems, and other engineers to define interfaces, create test plans, document decisions, and address failure modes. Own moderately complex features through deployment while supporting reliable workflows for experimental and scientific equipment.

Own the core software architecture for a laser-driven fusion power plant. Design and implement C++ and Python software integrating controls, hardware interfaces, calibration, diagnostics, data infrastructure, storage, and operator HMIs. Establish standards for testing, observability, reliability, security, documentation, and fault tolerance. Lead technical decisions, mentor engineers, coordinate across software, hardware, science, and operations teams, and develop reliable automated calibration workflows.

Build and lead Focused Energy’s Learning and Development function from the ground up. Responsibilities include manager and leadership development, skills frameworks, learning paths, succession planning, onboarding capability programs, learning infrastructure, knowledge management, and evaluating program effectiveness. The role partners with People teams, functional leaders, executives, and technical subject matter experts to translate complex scientific and technical knowledge into practical learning experiences.

Provides technical leadership and hands-on software development for laser systems. Defines architecture and technology choices for a greenfield platform; builds calibration tools, human-machine interfaces, dashboards, device integrations, data-acquisition and processing pipelines, and storage solutions. Collaborates with physicists, engineers, and integration partners, while ensuring reliability, testing, documentation, maintainability, and safe operation. Mentors engineers and contributes to technical design and engineering practices.

Performs structural, thermal, dynamic, fluid-system, and vibration analyses for complex mechanical systems. Develops CAD models, validates simulations, identifies design risks, recommends mitigations, prepares verification evidence and reports, and supports multidisciplinary design reviews. The role contributes to vacuum chambers, laser integration, diagnostic structures, and facility infrastructure while ensuring designs are safe, manufacturable, and ready for integration.

Own the operational backbone of an international Legal function, including German and US entity administration, contract lifecycle management, IP docketing, compliance records, legal calendars, workflow design, and automation. Manage corporate records, filings, powers of attorney, renewals, and notarial processes while partnering with legal leadership, Finance, external counsel, notaries, and advisers. Improve processes proactively and maintain accurate records and deadlines across the growing organization.

Lead the design, development, integration, commissioning, and debugging of PLC-based control systems for laser-fusion experiments and production infrastructure. Develop Beckhoff TwinCAT software, SCADA systems, HMIs, alarms, data acquisition, and database integrations. Collaborate with scientists and multidisciplinary engineers on vacuum, pneumatics, cooling, safety, and experimental equipment. Establish engineering standards, contribute to solution architecture, and mentor junior engineers while supporting international teams and occasional travel to Germany.

Sources specialized technical components and services, translates engineering requirements into purchase orders, manages supplier relationships, tracks deliveries and procurement risks, and coordinates with engineering, project, finance, and suppliers. Supports quotation evaluation, supplier performance, invoice administration, procurement reporting, and compliance with procurement policies, NDAs, IP requirements, ITAR, and EAR. The role is on-site in Austin and requires managing multiple priorities in a fast-changing fusion-energy environment.

Lead engineering-aligned supply chain for complex, low-volume systems by partnering with mechanical, electrical, and controls teams. Identify and qualify suppliers, manage technical procurement (RFQs, bid evaluations), define make-vs-buy and manufacturing routes, embed DfM, and drive on-time delivery with quality, traceability, and risk mitigation across programs.

Lead and scale Talent Acquisition and Employer Branding for a deep-tech fusion company. Build TA operating model, hiring standards, capacity planning, ATS ownership, data-driven reporting, hiring manager enablement, and a high-performing recruiting team to hire specialized scientific, engineering, software, operations, and G&A talent.

Lead talent acquisition efforts for Focused Energy, managing recruitment across science, engineering, and business functions while collaborating with global teams.