Section Leader - Mechanical Engineering (f/m/d)

Company Overview

Focused Energy is the leading laser-driven fusion company pursuing the most promising path to clean, limitless fusion power. With locations in Darmstadt, Germany and the San Francisco Bay Area, we unite top scientific and engineering minds to unlock commercially viable fusion power using proven technologies. We are driving the next chapter of economic growth and scientific innovation through the widespread adoption of clean, abundant fusion energy.

Role Overview

The Section Leader – Mechanical Engineering (f/m/d) is both the technical authority and people leader, ensuring mechanical engineering excellence across all Focused Energy projects. You will structure, govern, and continuously advance mechanical engineering to support the company’s technical roadmap, spanning from laboratory systems to First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) plant development.

This is a technical leadership and capability-building position (not a project management role). You will direct the mechanical engineering team, establish and maintain standards, drive technical quality, and provide cross-project mechanical expertise within a matrixed engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Discipline Leadership & Governance

• Define and maintain mechanical engineering standards, design practices, and technical governance.

• Establish design review structures (PDR, CDR, FDR) for mechanical systems.

• Ensure compliance with relevant standards (EN, ISO, pressure equipment, vacuum systems, structural design, etc.).

• Oversee mechanical engineering design assurance and technical sign-off processes.

• Develop structured documentation and evidence management, in collaboration with Systems Engineering.

2. Cross-Project Engineering Support

• Provide mechanical expertise across a range of systems including laser integration, vacuum chambers, cleanroom facilities, target tracking, reactor and chamber development, tritium and high-energy systems, and FOAK plant scaling.

• Ensure consistency in mechanical design philosophy across all projects and locations.

3. Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Manage mechanical engineers and technicians.

• Oversee workforce planning in alignment with roadmap milestones.

• Define competency matrices for mechanical engineering disciplines.

• Mentor and develop team members from junior through senior roles.

• Lead recruitment and technical interviews for mechanical engineering positions.

4. Mechanical Architecture & Integration

• Lead decisions on mechanical system architecture.

• Define robust interfaces with Electrical, Controls, Diagnostics, and Facilities teams.

• Ensure clarity and effective integration between subsystems.

• Support layout strategies for laboratories and future plant systems.

5. Engineering Execution & Quality

• Ensure mechanical deliverables meet technical requirements and timelines.

• Review critical calculations (FEA, thermal analysis, structural loads, vibration).

• Drive mechanical risk identification and mitigation strategies.

• Support vendor oversight and participate in design reviews.

6. Safety & Risk Leadership

• Ensure mechanical systems meet safety requirements (pressure, vacuum, lifting, machine safety interfaces).

• Contribute to hazard analyses and risk assessments.

• Support integration of safety into laboratory and plant environments.

Required Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline (MSc or PhD preferred).

• 10+ years’ experience in complex mechanical system design.

• Background in high-tech R&D (laser systems, vacuum systems, nuclear, aerospace, semiconductor, or related fields).

• Proven team leadership experience.

• Strong expertise in structural, thermal, and mechanical integration.

• Experience working in regulated or safety-critical environments.

Desirable Experience

• Fusion, nuclear, or high-energy physics systems.

• Large vacuum chamber technologies.

• Cleanroom system integration.

• Cryogenic and high-repetition mechanical systems.

• Experience with scaling from prototype to industrial plant environments.

Key Competencies

• Strong systems-thinking mindset.

• Highly structured and process-oriented.

• High technical credibility and cross-functional collaboration skills.

• Ability to translate strategic vision into mechanical engineering capability.

• Comfort with dynamic, startup/scale-up environments.

Focused Energy is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Focused Energy will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, benefits.