Directed Energy Laser Subject Matter Expert Engineer

Required Qualifications

• This position requires an active U.S. Top Secret Security Clearance (U.S. Citizenship Required). (A U.S. Security Clearance that has been active in the past 24 months is considered active)
• Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited course of study in engineering, engineering technology (includes manufacturing engineering technology), chemistry, physics, mathematics, data science, or computer science
• 20 or more years related work experience or an equivalent combination of technical education
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in directed energy or high-power laser systems development, integration, and test.
• Experience in one or more of the following: high-energy solid-state lasers, fiber lasers, chemical lasers, beam combining, adaptive optics, beam control, pointing/tracking, laser–target interaction, or laser safety.
• Experience with system-level requirements, modeling and simulation (optical propagation, thermal management, structural dynamics), and test execution in relevant environments.
• Experience with power generation/distribution, thermal control, and electro-optical system integration on airborne, naval, or ground platforms.
• Experience conducting laser hazard analyses and implementing laser safety controls and procedures.
• MS/PhD with thesis or publications in optics, lasers, or related fields.
• Prior experience with weaponization, safety certification, and operational deployment of HEL systems.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD development, DO-178/DO-254 interaction for avionics integration, and Government acquisition processes.
• Experience with high-fidelity optical/atmospheric propagation tools (e.g., MODTRAN, WaveTrain, FRED) and control-system simulation (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink).
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and mentoring early-career engineers.
• Proven problem-solving skills and ability to decompose complex system issues into actionable engineering tasks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present technical material to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Advanced optics and photonics knowledge.
• Systems engineering and architecture skills.
• Modeling & simulation proficiency.
• Test & evaluation planning and execution.
• Laser safety and regulatory compliance.
• Effective stakeholder communication and leadership.
• Strong project and risk management capabilities.