Director of Laser Engineering

About the role

• Director of Laser Engineering (m/f/d)
• Location: Darmstadt, Germany
• Travel: Approximately 20%

The opportunity

As Director of Laser Engineering, you will own the delivery of our laser functions at fusion machine and system level. You will lead a team of managers and technical leaders,, establish a single technology and functional roadmap, ensuring coherence of the sub-functions,, and build the operating practices that help the organization scale from individual expertise to coordinated industrial engineering.

You will connect immediate technical priorities to long-term FPP goals, make sure technology risks have clear owners and retirement plans, and represent Laser Engineering in technical reviews and executive-level forums. The role has a global scope, with most of the team and work based in the Darmstadt area.

What you will do

• Own and maintain the technology and functional roadmap of the laser function, linking critical work to long-term system goals.
• Lead and develop a team of five direct reports and a broader organization of 15+ indirect FTEs and students; delegate outcomes, coach managers, and build leadership capacity; scale the team by a factor 2-3x in the next 12 months..
• Establish clear ownership, decision rights, technical review processes and practical operating rhythms as the organization scales.
• Steer partnerships and outsourcing strategies for laser technology development. Act as an escalation step in those relationships.
• Build a current picture of technology maturity, dependencies, gate reviews, and technical risks; maintain a risk register and drive actions that retire risks systematically.
• Strengthen technical documentation and working practices so that important context is visible, maintained, and usable across teams.
• Lead system-level architecture discussions by testing assumptions, weighing evidence and trade-offs, and surfacing gaps or decision points.
• Work closely with Laser Systems Engineering, Program, Lab Infrastructure, Digital Twin, Supply Chain, and the Reactor team to maintain alignment and resolve cross-functional issues; work closely with Legal and business development on IP strategy..
• Represent the function at fusion-machine-wide technical review meetings and executive forums, communicating outcomes, risks, and decisions clearly.

What you bring

• A technical background in engineering, physics, photonics, or a related discipline, gained through a relevant degree or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience leading managers or senior technical leaders. You have developed leaders, not only managed projects or individual contributors.
• A record of building and delivering technology or engineering roadmaps in a complex environment.
• Strong first-principles reasoning: you can challenge expert views constructively, separate data-backed conclusions from assumptions, and make sound decisions when information is incomplete.
• Experience managing technical risks, dependencies, and cross-functional delivery.
• Clear, concise, outcome-focused communication with senior and technical audiences.
• High EQ, adaptability, and comfort working in an organization where priorities and structures may evolve.
• Willingness to maintain a consistent presence in the Darmstadt area and travel approximately 20%. Full relocation is welcome but not required; the on-site cadence can be agreed with the team.
• Fluent English. German is a plus, not a requirement.
• Experience in laser engineering, photonics, or complex hardware-or building structure in a scaling organization-is a plus, but not required. A PhD is not required.

Additional information

Compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, benefits.