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Focused Energy is building laser-driven inertial fusion energy (IFE) toward commercial power generation. The company, backed by a $240M Series A (the largest fully secured Series A in the global fusion industry), is scaling rapidly across Germany and the US with top scientific and engineering talent.
You will serve as the most senior technical authority on the Digital Twin team, leading the development of an integrated IFE system modeling environment that sits at the center of Focused Energy's plant design efforts. This role combines hands-on technical leadership with strategic scientific direction.
Key Responsibilities:
- Integrate physics modeling efforts across all IFE subsystems: laser, target, fusion chamber, target injection/tracking, and manufacturing.
- Lead a team of scientists developing and owning simulation codes for each major subsystem.
- Drive synthesis of subsystem models into a comprehensive, self-consistent plant-level simulation framework.
- Set scientific direction, modeling standards, and validation philosophy for the Digital Twin team.
- Validate that subsystem code accurately captures physics, with model uncertainty rigorously quantified.
- Conduct trade-off analyses across competing design candidates with the Science team, identifying which design choices most affect plant viability.
- Work with experimental physics teams to validate simulation codes against real shot data (internal, NIF, OMEGA, ELI, etc.).
- Partner with external collaborators (national labs, broader IFE community) to keep modeling at the frontier.
- Present modeling team's work to executive leadership, program management, and investors.
Requirements:
Must-haves:
- Master's degree in Physics with specialization in Plasma, Laser, Nuclear, or related field; Ph.D. strongly preferred.
- Deep expertise in IFE/ICF physics (target implosion design, laser-plasma interaction, hydrodynamic instability, burn physics, chamber/neutronics).
- Track record developing, validating, and publishing physics simulation codes (hydrodynamic, radiation-hydrodynamics, PIC, ray tracing, Monte Carlo neutronics, etc.).
- Strong programming skills (Python, Fortran, C++, or equivalent) and experience with HPC/large-scale simulation workflows.
- Experience with integrated, systems-level modeling: coupling physics domains, managing code interfaces, uncertainty propagation, sensitivity analysis.
Nice-to-haves:
- Strong scientific leadership; sets high standards and builds team confidence.
- Clear communicator who can translate complex physics for executives, engineers, and external partners.
- Systems-level thinker who sees how subsystem trade-offs affect whole design.
- Collaborative across physics, engineering, and software disciplines.
- Comfortable making decisions under uncertainty and transparent about confidence levels.
- Familiarity with Digital Twin methods, reduced-order modeling, or physics-informed ML.
- Published or patented work in IFE/ICF or related plasma/laser physics.
- Experience with requirements flow-down, performance budgeting, or margin analysis.
- Entrepreneurial, self-directed, energized by building from scratch.
- Comfortable engaging with executives, program managers, academics, and investors.
- Mission-driven and energized by startup pace and ambiguity.
