Director, Laser Technology

NextGenEnergyJobs; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

NextGenEnergyJobs seeks a senior leader to own the technical roadmap for high-power laser systems and associated optics for diamond wafer processing. You will build and scale a team of photonics engineers and laser process specialists, translating R&D results into factory-ready manufacturing recipes and integrating precision delivery hardware.

You will collaborate with metrology and automation groups to implement real-time sensor grids and closed-loop controls, aiming to maximize wafer yield and

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Optics, Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or Materials Science.
• 8+ years in laser systems engineering with 5+ years managing technical optical/process engineering teams.
• Deep technical expertise in high-power industrial lasers (fiber, DPSS, ultrafast/femtosecond), beam delivery optics, and galvo scanners.
• Proven track record in precision laser-material processing loops (wafer slicing, dicing, surface ablation).
• Proficiency with optical simulation tools Zemax/Code V and multiphysics tools COMSOL/MATLAB/Python.
• Strong background in SPC, DOE, and RCA.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical roadmap for high-power laser systems, beam shaping optics, and ultrafast laser slicing for diamond wafers.
• Lead and scale a high-performing team of photonics engineers, optical physicists, and laser process specialists.
• Drive the scaling and transfer of laser-material processing recipes from R&D to the factory floor.
• Partner with Equipment Engineering to design, procure, and integrate high-precision optical delivery hardware and galvo systems.
• Maximize diamond wafer yield by resolving complex laser-material interaction excursions, thermal lens effects, and beam drift
• Collaborate with Metrology and Automation teams to implement real-time optical sensor grids and closed-loop process controls.

Skills

Laser systems engineering

Beam delivery optics

Galvo systems

Statistical Process Control

Design of Experiments

Root Cause Analysis

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in Optics/Photonics/Physics/EE/Materials Science

Tools

Zemax

Code V

COMSOL

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Own the technical roadmap for high-power laser systems, beam shaping optics, and ultrafast laser slicing for diamond wafers.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the technical roadmap for high-power laser systems, beam shaping optics, and ultrafast laser slicing for diamond wafers.
• Lead and scale a high-performing team of photonics engineers, optical physicists, and laser process specialists.
• Drive the scaling and transfer of laser-material processing recipes (dicing, singulation, surface ablation) from R&D to the factory floor.
• Partner with Equipment Engineering to design, procure, and integrate high-precision optical delivery hardware and galvo systems.
• Maximize diamond wafer yield by resolving complex laser-material interaction excursions, thermal lens effects, and beam drift
• Collaborate with Metrology and Automation teams to implement real-time optical sensor grids and closed-loop process controls.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Optics, Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or Materials Science.
• 8+ years in laser systems engineering, with 5+ years managing technical optical/process engineering teams.
• Deep technical expertise in high-power industrial lasers (fiber, DPSS, ultrafast/femtosecond), beam delivery optics, and galvo scanners.
• Proven track record in precision laser-material processing loops (e.g., semiconductor wafer slicing, ceramic/hard-material dicing, or optical annealing).
• Proficiency with optical simulation tools (Zemax, Code V) and multiphysics modeling platforms (COMSOL, MATLAB, Python).
• Strong background in Statistical Process Control (SPC), Design of Experiments (DOE), and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).