Laser Engineer for SBC (English)

Ibsen Photonics; Farum; On-site; DKK 550,000 - 850,000; Full time

Job summary

Ibsen Photonics in Farum, Denmark, seeks a proactive Laser Engineer to own the design, construction and optimisation of SBC platforms for high-power laser architectures.

You will work hands-on in the lab from concept to production-ready systems, tackling optical alignment, thermal management and beam quality, using simulations (Zemax) and CAD, with cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• MSc/PhD/Postdoc in Optics, Photonics, Laser Physics or related field.
• Hands-on experience with high-power fibre and free-space optical systems.
• Experience with SBC/CBC beam combining is highly desirable.
• Ability to measure beam quality and diagnose optical systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and assemble compact SBC modules considering optical paths, thermal effects and mechanical constraints.
• Drive system optimisation through alignment, stability and thermal management for high-power loads.
• Characterise beam quality with diagnostics, wavefront sensing and spectral analysis.
• Own lifecycle from prototypes to scalable, production-ready designs.
• Collaborate with internal teams and international partners, including overseas visits.

Skills

High-power fibre optics

Free-space optics

Optical alignment

SBC/CBC beam combining

Beam quality measurement

Mechanical design

Zemax simulations

CAD proficiency

Education

MSc/PhD/Postdoc in Optics/Photonics/Laser Physics

Tools

Zemax

CAD software

Job description

Location: Farum, Denmark | Level: MSc / PhD / Postdoc / Experienced Engineer
The Mission: Build the Next Generation of SBC Systems
At Ibsen Photonics, we are developing Spectral Beam Combining (SBC) modules for high-power laser architectures. We are looking for creative, hands-on Laser Engineers to take full ownership of designing, building, and optimising our SBC platform.

This role bridges the gap between theoretical physics and industrial reality. You won't just design on a screen; you will spend significant time in the lab, iterating rapidly from proof-of-concept to robust, production-ready, scalable systems.

Key responsibilities:

• Design & Assemble: Develop compact, efficient SBC modules using Ibsen's world-class transmission gratings, while considering optical beam paths, thermal effects and mechanical constraints.
• System Optimisation: Drive performance by refining optical alignment, mechanical stability, and complex thermal management for high-power loads in a reiterative process: design - experiment - optimise.
• Characterisation: Use advanced diagnostics to maintain beam quality (low M²) during power scaling, including wavefront sensing and spectral analysis.
• Full Lifecycle Ownership: Source optical/mechanical components and manage the transition from experimental prototypes to scalable, volume-ready designs.
• Global Collaboration: Work closely with an internal team and international partners, including potential overseas visits for joint prototyping and testing.

What you bring
You are a proactive problem-solver who thrives in a "build-test-learn" environment. Ideally, you possess:

• Education: An MSc, PhD, or Postdoc in Optics, Photonics, Laser Physics, or a related field.
• Expertise:
  • Hands on industry experience with (high-power) fibre and free-space optical systems, precise alignment, and experimental troubleshooting.
  • Understanding of (and ideally experience with) SBC and CBC beam combining techniques.
  • Beam quality measurement and analysis.
  • Mechanical design of tight tolerance devices
• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of Gaussian optics, beam propagation, and high-power laser effects (thermal lensing, runaway-effects, mitigation strategies).
• Software Skills: Proficiency in optical simulation tools (e.g., Zemax) and familiarity with mechanical CAD.
• Mindset: Independent enough to drive a project and work on your own, but collaborative enough to thrive in a flat-hierarchy, cross-functional team, sharing insights and discussing projects/next steps. The role is highly experimental and hands-on, requiring independence and a strong drive to make systems work in practice, not just on paper.
• Security Clearance: You are a European citizen with no family ties to Russia or Russian allied territories, and you have a clean criminal record.

Why join Ibsen Photonics?

• High Impact: Your success will have a direct impact on the future of high power laser systems for defence.
• Freedom to Innovate: We value drive and initiative – if you see a better or faster way to meet customer requirements, we are there to support you.
• Danish Engineering Culture: Enjoy a supportive and meaningful environment with fast decision-making, teamwork, knowledge sharing, and a healthy work-life balance.

Ibsen's core technology is optical transmission gratings and grating based spectrometers, which we design, manufacture and supply to customers worldwide. Our spectrometers find their way into medical devices and scientific instruments used in sustainable energy, industrial, pharmaceutical, life sciences, security, and many other applications.

We work closely with our customers to create value adding solutions, sharing our extensive technical knowledge in an open and honest work environment with a flat "Scandinavian" hierarchical structure.

You will join a rapidly growing company employing 85 people at our facility just north of Copenhagen, and realising an annual turnover of more than 20 M€. We work actively with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strive to make our business fully sustainable.

Ibsen Photonics is majority owned by N. Foss & Co. A/S, a world leader in analytical solutions for the agricultural industry, with an annual turnover of 2.5 Billion DKK and more than 1.800 employees.