Laser/Optical Simulation Engineer

Location: On-site in Denver, Colorado, United States

Salary: $175,000–$225,000 per year

Company

hirify.global develops inertial fusion energy and laser architecture to support the deployment of fusion power plants and global decarbonization.

What you will do

• Own and develop an end-to-end virtual beamline digital twin for the fusion laser architecture.
• Collaborate with theory, computation, software, optical, and mechanical engineering teams on architecture, requirements, interfaces, and new modules.
• Run Monte Carlo simulations, parameter sensitivity studies, and system-level trade studies using high-performance computing resources.
• Improve model functionality and performance to refine hardware requirements.
• Write technical documentation and develop unit tests and code validation checks.
• Identify and solve complex challenges involving high-power laser systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, optics, electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field.
• At least 6 years of experience in optical physics, lasers, or software engineering.
• Expertise in optical simulation methods such as diffraction, ray tracing, Gaussian beamlet decomposition, laser amplification, turbulence correction, or nonlinear optical propagation.
• Ability to write and maintain a high-quality, scalable codebase collaboratively.
• Hands-on experience designing and using complex optical or laser systems, with strong technical communication and documentation skills.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted refugee or asylee.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant field.
• 8 or more years of relevant experience.
• Experience with Zemax, FRED, or similar optical simulation software.
• Experience with inverse solution methods, CAD software, or distributed-computing algorithm optimization.

Culture & Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Basic and supplemental life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Paid parental leave, paid sick time, 13 company-paid holidays, and an annual paid company shutdown.
• Flexible paid time off and a 401(k) with a company match of up to 6%.
• Eligible employees may receive equity.