Director of Optical Engineering

Xcimer Energy; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Xcimer Energy in Denver, CO is seeking a Director of Optical Engineering to lead the design, analysis, integration, and validation of state‑of‑the‑art UV laser optical systems for laser‑driven inertial fusion. You will build and guide a high‑performing team of optical engineers, partnering with scientists and program leadership to deliver robust optical architectures and roadmaps.

You will drive technical direction, risk mitigation, and successful delivery within a matrix organization, shaping

Qualifications

• MS degree in Optical Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in optical engineering, including design, analysis, integration, testing.
• 15+ years leading technical teams and engineering orgs.
• Experience with optical design software (Zemax preferred, CODE V).
• Strong MATLAB/Python or similar tools for analysis.

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and mentor the Optical Engineering team; set goals and standards.
• Provide technical oversight for design, tolerancing, alignment, and performance analyses.
• Oversee integration, verification, and commissioning of optical systems.
• Collaborate with science, systems, and laser teams; manage requirements and risk.
• Present status and recommendations to leadership.

Skills

Optical design

Team leadership

Zemax

MATLAB

Python

Adaptive optics

System integration

Beam diagnostics

Tolerancing

Education

MS degree in Optical Engineering

PhD in Optical Engineering

Tools

CODE V

Zemax

Job description

Xcimer Energy leverages decades of research on Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) combined with groundbreaking new laser architecture.
Our mission is to deploy fusion power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible.
Xcimer has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution.
Supported by leading investors, Xcimer is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change.
Join us in powering a better world with inertial fusion!
This is a full-time, onsite role based at our headquarters in Denver, CO.
As a Director of Optical Engineering you will lead the department which staffs the design, development, qualification and commissioning of state‑of‑the‑art UV laser optical systems for laser‑driven inertial fusion. This role combines deep technical expertise in optical engineering with organizational leadership responsibility for the Optical Engineering team. You will be responsible for building and leading a high‑performing team of optical engineers while providing technical direction for the design, analysis, integration, and validation of laser beamlines, diagnostics, optical coatings, adaptive optics systems, and other critical optical subsystems.
As a member of the engineering leadership team, you will partner closely with scientists, systems engineers, optical physicists, opto‑mechanical engineers, and program leadership to ensure that the optical architectures, technical roadmaps, risks, and delivery of optical systems, is accomplished in accordance with the requirements of Xcimer's Fusion and Directed Energy missions. We are looking for a leader who combines exceptional technical depth with strong people leadership, execution discipline, and a passion for solving some of the world's most challenging engineering problems, while very comfortable working in a matrix organization.

Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership

• Build, lead, mentor, and grow the Optical Engineering team through hiring, coaching, performance management, and career development.
• Establish team goals, priorities, staffing plans, and organizational capabilities aligned with company objectives.
• Develop engineering processes, design standards, documentation practices, and quality expectations for the optical engineering organization.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with executive leadership to develop long‑term optical engineering strategy and organizational growth plans.

Technical Leadership

• Oversee the development of optical architectures for laser beamlines, diagnostics, adaptive optics systems, beam transport systems, and related optical subsystems
• Work with science, systems engineering, and laser teams to derive, allocate, and manage optical system requirements.
• Provide technical oversight for optical design, tolerancing, alignment strategies, and system performance analyses.
• Chair reviews of optical designs and analyses, ensuring technical rigor and adherence to performance requirements.
• Guide development of active beam control systems including adaptive optics, beam stabilization, and tracking systems.
• Ensure that requirements and specifications for optical components, coatings, imaging systems, cameras, sensors, and precision optical assemblies are established in compliance with the Xcimer Product Development Process
• Drive resolution of complex optical performance issues through modeling, experimentation, root‑cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Oversee optical system integration, alignment, verification, validation, and commissioning activities.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with optomechanical engineering teams to optimize system performance, manufacturability, alignment accessibility, and maintainability.
• Collaborate with optical physicists, electrical engineers, controls engineers, and software engineers to develop integrated laser and diagnostic systems.
• Support supplier selection, technical evaluations, and strategic relationships with optical component vendors and manufacturing partners.
• Work closely with program management to identify risks, develop mitigation plans, and ensure successful execution of program milestones.
• Present technical status, risks, and recommendations to engineering leadership and executive stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Education: MS degree in Optical Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in optical engineering, including optical design, analysis, integration, and testing of complex optical systems.
• Leadership: 15+ years of experience leading technical teams and managing engineering organizations.
• Demonstrated expertise using optical design software such as Zemax (preferred), CODE V, or equivalent tools.
• Strong experience with computational analysis tools such as MATLAB, Python, or similar engineering software.
• Deep understanding of optical design methodologies, optimization techniques, and performance metrics for imaging and laser systems
• Experience with optical tolerancing, fabrication specifications, statistical performance analysis, and alignment sensitivity assessments.
• Experience integrating and aligning complex optical systems using instrumentation such as theodolites, autocollimators, laser trackers, interferometers, and related metrology equipment.
• Experience performing optical metrology and characterization, including interferometric measurements, surface quality assessment, scatter characterization, and precision inspection techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering efforts from concept through integration and testing.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Desired

• Ph.D. degree in Optical Engineering, Optical Science, Physics, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in optical system design, optimization, tolerancing, integration, and precision alignment.
• Experience working in a Matrix Organization delivering multiple projects and programs in parallel
• Experience leading optical engineering organizations supporting large‑scale technical programs.
• Experience designing adaptive optics systems and beam pointing stabilization systems.
• Experience performing high‑fidelity physical optics modeling and wavefront propagation analyses in both near‑field and far‑field regimes.
• Experience with high‑energy laser systems and deep ultraviolet (UV) optical systems.
• Experience developing comprehensive end‑to‑end optical system models and performance budgets.
• Experience defining and flowing requirements from system‑level architectures to subsystem and component specifications.
• Experience supporting development of advanced scientific, aerospace, defense, fusion, or directed‑energy systems.
• Demonstrated success scaling engineering teams in fast‑paced, high‑growth technical organizations.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Xcimer Energy is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified, diverse, and dedicated work force. Xcimer Energy hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork, in which all employees recognize and appreciate the diversity of individual team members. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Xcimer Energy will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For more information on “EEO Is the Law,” please see here and here.

Benefits

Xcimer offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employee health, well‑being, and long‑term success. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage; basic and supplemental life insurance; short‑and long‑term disability; paid parental leave for employees at the time of birth or adoption; and a 401(k) with a company match of up to 6%. Eligible employees also receive equity, allowing them to share in the company’s long‑term success.
Xcimer operates under a flexible Paid Time Off (ATO) approach. Rather than a fixed number of vacation days, employees are trusted to take the time they need to rest and recharge while meeting the expectations of their role and team. In addition, employees receive paid sick time, 13 company‑paid holidays, and an annual paid company shutdown. Benefits are available to regular employees, including part‑time and fixed‑term roles, as well as interns, with eligibility varying by benefit.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
Candidates may be considered for other positions at Xcimer Energy, and our actual base salary will be determined on an individual basis and may vary based on job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The range is published in accordance with Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and California Equal Pay Act.