Founding LPA Engineer (Hybrid) - #2764463

Location: Hamburg, Germany (Hybrid – :4 days on-site / 1 day remote per week; relocation assistance included)

Language Requirements: Fluent English (C1+) (German or Estonian nice-to-have)

Job Title: Founding Laser-Plasma Accelerator (LPA) Engineer / Engineering Manager

Function: Engineering Management

Contract & Start: Permanent, Full-Time (Target Start: January or February 2027)

Role Overview

We are looking for a Founding Laser-Plasma Accelerator (LPA) Engineer to take full ownership of the development, execution, and scaling of our core muon source infrastructure. In this critical early position, you will bridge the gap between advanced plasma physics and real-world industrial deployment—shaping an LPA system from initial operating parameters into a durable, containerized machine designed for continuous, unattended operation.

Starting with a heavy focus on practical, laboratory-based execution, you will lead experimental campaigns and direct vacuum and opto-mechanical design efforts. As the project progresses, you will step into a leadership role to recruit, build, and manage our dedicated Muon Source engineering division.

Work Setup: Hybrid model (:4 days on-site / 1 day remote per week) in Hamburg.

Relocation & Support: Comprehensive relocation support and complete visa sponsorship for global candidates.

Core Responsibilities

• Team Building & Leadership: Establish and grow the Muon Source division (focusing on LPA, converter, and optical systems), driving initial development hands-on before expanding and mentoring the team.
• Plasma Source & Accelerator Optimization: Design and refine high-durability, density-tailored plasma targets that withstand the thermal loads of a 100 Hz / 100 TW system, ensuring multi-million-shot operational stability.
• Beamtime & Facility Management: Design and direct multi-year experimental campaigns across international user facilities (including DESY PRIMA, ELI Beamlines, EPAC, and ATLAS), translating empirical beam data into rapid hardware iterations.
• High-Power Laser Engineering: Formulate rigid hardware specifications for laser equipment suppliers (covering energy, pulse length, pointing/energy consistency, and spatial profile) and manage vendor performance.
• Opto-Mechanical & Vacuum Systems: Drive the engineering of laser transport channels, vacuum containment, differential pumping, thermal dissipation, and vibration damping to create a transportable, continuous-use unit.
• Diagnostics & System Automation: Establish requirements for control architecture, machine protection frameworks, and diagnostic pipelines that enable safe 24/7 autonomous running.
• Strategic Oversight: Retain decision-making authority over division budgets, technical roadmaps, and ongoing recruitment efforts.
  
  
  

What We Are Looking For

Essential Qualifications:

• Education: Doctorate (PhD / Dr.) in Physics or a closely aligned engineering field.
• Experience: Minimum 3 to 5 years of postdoctoral research/industry experience centered on laser-plasma accelerators and high-power laser systems.
• Practical LPA Mastery: Demonstrated history of building, tuning, and operating actual LPA hardware (hands-on experience with injection dynamics, dephasing, depletion, and plasma guiding).
• Experimental Leadership: Track record of planning, securing, and directing multi-year experimental runs at major research facilities.
• Team & People Leadership: Background in managing, mentoring, or hiring technical staff.
• Hardware & Optics Expertise: Deep knowledge of high-power laser procurement, opto-mechanics, and vacuum design requirements.
• Location & Language: Fluent English (C1+ level) with a commitment to relocate to Hamburg for regular on-site engineering work.
  
  
  

Desirable Extras:

• Background in electron/muon LPA production, converter optics, or plasma scaling architectures.
• Hands-on history working within or alongside facilities like DESY, CERN, ELI, EPAC, or ATLAS.
• Working knowledge of German or Estonian.
  
  
  

What We Offer

• Compensation: €80,000 – €130,000 base salary + key employee equity package & competitive benefits.
• Foundational Influence & Autonomy: Total ownership over the architecture, budget, and expansion of our core accelerator platform and team.
• Pioneering Deep-Tech Work: Direct involvement in scaling 100 Hz / 100 TW laser-plasma systems to transform non-destructive inspection, security, and healthcare diagnostics.
• Elite Infrastructure Access: Direct access to beamlines at leading global centers alongside a network of tier-one industrial and research partners.
• Work-Life & Relocation Support: 30 annual vacation days, complete visa sponsorship, and comprehensive relocation support.
• Agile, Transparent Culture: A lean, skunkworks-style environment that prioritizes speed, candid communication, and decisive execution over bureaucracy.