Project Manager, Laser

Focused Energy is building the future of clean energy through laser-driven inertial fusion. Backed by our $240M Series A — the largest fully secured Series A in the global fusion industry — we are scaling rapidly across multiple geographies.

Based in Germany and the US, we have brought together the top scientific and engineering minds using proven technologies to unlock fusion power at commercial scale. Focused Energy is working to realize game-changing scientific innovation that promises to deliver a clean, sustainable and abundant source of power globally.

As Project Manager on the Laser team, you will drive alignment across complex, multi-partner projects within our laser and optical component development programs. You will be responsible for collaborative projects with external partners from academia and industry. You will also help to establishand strengthen internal project management standards across Focused Energy and the Laser organization.

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  Manage external research and development projects in collaboration with public and private partners, from proposal or kickoff through execution, reporting, and close-out

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  Develop and execute the development strategy for optical and laser components with stakeholders across laser leadership, technical project teams, finance, and business development

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  Drive structured program and project planning, status tracking, meeting cadences, action follow-up, and transparent communication across a complex, multi-project environment

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  Support proposals and execution of publicly funded projects by maintaining reporting discipline, and ensuring alignment with partner and funding requirements

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  Align and report on program and project statusto for both division- and enterprise-level stakeholders

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  Collaborate closely with scientists and engineering teams, building technical depth to understand dependencies, challenge assumptions, and help remove execution roadblocks

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  Contribute to establishing and improving internal project management standards, tools, and best practices within the Laser organization and beyond

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  Coordinate with company-wide PM efforts to ensure compliance with broader Focused Energy project management practices

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  Represent Focused Energy with external partners (institutional, industrial, funding agency); expect regular travel within Germany (approximately 6 trips per year)

• Excellent degree in STEM or a related field (engineering, physics, natural sciences, or another STEM discipline)

• Outstanding track record (e.g., academic performance, honors, competitive scholarships, or equivalent achievements in research, engineering, or personal projects)

• Experience managing projects or workstreams in technically complex environments, with the ability to structure plans, milestones, risks, decisions, and reporting across multiple parallel topics

• Ability to operate successfully in a complex multi-project environment with many stakeholders and dependencies, including the ability to prioritize and optimize processes

• Confidence working with project management tools, documentation, and structured follow-up

• High affinity for close collaboration with scientists and engineering teams, paired with curiosity and willingness to dive into new topics

• Strong problem-solving attitude, ownership mindset, and structured way of working

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and confidence in stakeholder management across technical and non-technical interfaces, in both German and English

• Experience in publicly funded research or development projects

• Exposure to project management standards, processes, or PMO build-up activities

• Experience working with external research, industrial, or ecosystem partners

• Interest in laser technology, advanced engineering, or fusion-related development

• Experience with project management tools such as Jira or MS Project

• Junior applicants are encouraged to apply when relevant experience can be demonstrated through internships, student initiatives, research work, or extracurricular activities