Lead Experimental Physicist

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary experimental owner for assigned laser experiments
• Rapidly learn and develop deep understanding of complex experimental platforms, including lasers, diagnostics, and supporting subsystems
• Design and execute experiments involving lasers, spectroscopy, imaging, and time resolved measurements
• Develop and apply appropriate diagnostics to understand system performance and debug experimental issues
• Translate high level scientific objectives into detailed experimental designs and test plans
• Review experimental results critically, identify limitations, and drive systematic improvements
• Perform quantitative post processing and analysis of spectroscopy and imaging data
• Modify, extend, and maintain data processing and analysis scripts
• Produce clear technical reports, presentations, and publishable quality results
• Interface with the scientific board and senior scientists to understand experimental priorities and required outcomes
• Collaborate closely with technicians and engineers, providing technical direction, mentoring, and training
• Troubleshoot nontrivial experimental, diagnostic, and system level issues
• Work effectively across disciplines, including experimentalists, theorists, engineers, and technicians

Qualifications

• Education: PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a closely related field, or equivalent experience
• Strong hands-on experience with laser-based experiments
• Solid understanding of optical and laser diagnostics
• Demonstrated ability to independently drive complex experimental work
• Experience debugging complex experimental systems and diagnosing root causes
• Willingness to learn pulsed power concepts
• Proficiency in data analysis and post processing
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• High level of motivation, curiosity, and ownership mindset
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee of granted asylum
• Desired: Familiarity with excimer lasers, experience in laser gain dynamics, experience with laser wavefront measurement, experience with deformable mirrors, experience with phase plates, experience with gas kinetics, experience with vacuum systems, experience operating and aligning pulsed laser systems, experience producing scientific publications, experience working in multidisciplinary research laser facilities, experience with Matlab, Python, and LabVIEW, prior experience mentoring technicians or junior team members

Pay

$200,000 - $225,000 a year

Schedule

Full-time, onsite role based at our headquarters in Denver, CO