Jobs at Focused Energy (focused-energy.co)

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.

Own reliability and daily operations for internal applications and deployment platforms across cloud, databases, identity, networking, secrets, and CI/CD. Lead incident response, troubleshoot failures, automate deployment and recovery processes, implement infrastructure and database fixes, support migrations and scaling, maintain monitoring and operational documentation, and provide overflow support for AI workflows and tools.

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 design and delivery of the Fusion Island power cycle, including cooling, thermodynamic cycle, and primary heat exchanger. Oversee concept through licensing, construction, and commissioning; resolve cross-disciplinary technical issues; produce design and safety documentation; manage change control, requirements, RAMI, and project schedule; and lead multidisciplinary teams while reporting risks and status to leadership.

Manage multi-year reactor projects: plan and track schedules, budgets, resources and risks; maintain Jira/BigPicture/Confluence plans; coordinate cross-functional engineering, safety, suppliers and regulatory stakeholders; enforce change control and safety compliance; support funding coordination and reporting.

Lead the end-to-end design and delivery of the fusion island, providing technical authority, resolving cross-discipline issues, approving key engineering deliverables, governing systems architecture, and managing a multidisciplinary team through design, licensing, handover, and commissioning.

Lead architecture, integrated design, analysis, and delivery of the fusion reactor island across the engineering lifecycle. Define system architecture, requirements, interfaces, baselines, safety principles, and trade studies while ensuring multidisciplinary integration, regulatory compliance, and operations readiness.

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 mechanical design, development, and integration of complex systems (laser integration structures, vacuum chambers, diagnostics, target systems). Own work packages through concept, detailed design, build, testing, and commissioning. Define/manage mechanical requirements and interfaces, review analyses (structural, thermal, vibration, alignment), lead design reviews, and mentor other mechanical engineers to ensure robust, manufacturable, and integration-ready designs.

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.

Own and administer SaaS platforms, manage user access and licences, maintain IT processes and documentation, coordinate onboarding/offboarding, conduct licence audits, deliver user training, and partner with IT and People Operations to apply consistent IT standards across global sites.

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

Lead theoretical and simulation work for beam smoothing and laser-plasma interaction (LPI). Coordinate beam and target requirements, support DUED implementation, provide LPI simulation/theory for experiments, partner with laser, beam smoothing, diagnostics, and target teams to mitigate LPI risk and shape fusion roadmap.

Lead theoretical and simulation work on laser-plasma interaction (LPI) and beam smoothing. Translate laser system capabilities into target physics requirements, define beam/picket/port requirements, support DUED implementation, provide LPI theory for experiments and simulations, and collaborate across laser, beam smoothing, target design, diagnostics, and physics teams to mitigate LPI risk and imprint/hydrodynamic instabilities.