Chief Laser Systems Scientist/Engineer jobs in United States
cer-icon
Apply on Employer Site
company-logo

First Principle · 4 weeks ago

Chief Laser Systems Scientist/Engineer

positionCalifornia, United States
timeFull-time
remoteOnsite
seniorityDirector/Executive

First Principle is an exciting startup focused on commercial-scale fusion energy, seeking a Chief Laser Systems Scientist/Engineer to lead the architecture and delivery of advanced pulsed laser systems. This high-impact role involves shaping system design decisions and collaborating with experts to drive the fusion process forward.

Management Consulting
check
H1B Sponsorednote
Hiring Manager
Tom Rochford
linkedin

Responsibilities

Own laser system architecture for DPSSL platforms
Conduct modeling and simulation of pulse dynamics, beam propagation, nonlinear optics, and thermal behavior
Evaluate and down-select competing designs from national labs and industrial partners
Guide optical, thermal, and structural integration of advanced beamline systems
Lead commissioning, performance optimization, and reliability engineering for fusion-class laser hardware
Collaborate closely with plasma physics, target science, and system engineering teams throughout development

Qualification

High-energy laser physicsModeling laser gain mediaNonlinear opticsHigh-power pulse propagationThermomechanical integrationOptical integrationReliability engineeringDesign for manufacturabilityHigh-uptime operationCollaboration with teams

Required

PhD-level expertise in high-energy laser physics
Deep fluency in modeling laser gain media, nonlinear optics, and high-power pulse propagation
Ability to challenge and validate architectures with peer-review rigor
Background from fusion laser programs, national labs, or advanced defense laser systems
Strong experience delivering thermomechanical and optical integration of high-power laser systems
Track record bringing advanced DPSSL or directed-energy platforms from R&D to deployment
Comfortable designing for reliability, manufacturability, and high-uptime operation
Background likely from defense, commercial laser OEMs, or aerospace hardware environments

Benefits

Highly competitive pay
Meaningful equity

Company

First Principle

twitter
company-logo
Tough Tech isn’t built in the cloud, it’s developed in the labs, on testbeds, and in pilot plants, through years of iteration, hard science, and specialized infrastructure.
dateFounded in 2025
location
Brooklyn, New York, US
people-size2-10 employees
web-link
https://www.firstprinciple.us/

H1B Sponsorship

First Principle has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2020 (1)

Funding

Current Stage
Early Stage
Company data provided by crunchbase