Control Systems Engineer - Test & Measurement
About the job
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience: 1+ years of experience in control systems engineering, with a strong emphasis on test and measurement or validation environments.
- Demonstrated experience designing and commissioning test stands, automated test equipment (ATE), or experimental systems.
- Proficiency in Python and LabVIEW, including development of maintainable, version-controlled code.
- Strong working knowledge of verification and validation methodologies, including test planning and execution and requirements tracking such as with a Requirements Traceability Matrix.
- Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and modern software development workflows.
- Working knowledge of unit testing, automated testing, or test-driven development concepts.
- Familiarity with industrial and laboratory communication protocols (e.g., RS‑232, TCP/IP, Ethernet-based protocols).
- 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 or granted asylum.
- Design, develop, and commission control systems for test and measurement applications, including laboratory and industrial test stands.
- Lead or contribute to verification and validation (V&V) activities, including test planning, test procedure development, execution, and reporting.
- Develop control, automation, and data acquisition software using Python, LabVIEW, and related tools.
- Integrate hardware and software for test systems, including instrumentation, DAQ hardware, off-the-shelf benchtop equipment, and custom hardware.
- Apply diagnostic and systems-level troubleshooting methodologies to identify root causes of system, software, or hardware issues.
- Implement and maintain automated test frameworks, unit tests, and regression tests to support reliable system evolution.
- Interface with and integrate a wide range of communication protocols and interfaces such as RS‑232/422/485, TCP/IP, Ethernet-based fieldbuses such as EtherCAT, and instrument control protocols.
- Participate in requirements development, traceability, and documentation to support structured V&V and quality processes.
- Collaborate closely with electrical, mechanical, and software engineers to ensure test systems accurately represent real-world operating conditions.
- Support commissioning activities, acceptance testing, and ongoing lifecycle support for test infrastructure.
- Experience: 3+ years of experience in control systems engineering, with a strong emphasis on test and measurement or validation environments.
- Experience with advanced architectural concepts, such as an Actor framework
- Experience with industrial control platforms such as PLC/PAC systems, real-time controllers, or distributed control SCADA systems, such as Ignition or Wonderware.
- Familiarity with publication/subscription based protocols such as OPC UA
- Familiarity with instrumentation standards and interfaces (e.g., SCPI, GPIB, USB instruments).
- Experience with DAQ systems, high-speed data capture, or synchronization/timing systems.
- Exposure to systems integration best practices commonly used by professional control system integrators (e.g., lifecycle documentation, change control, structured testing).
- Knowledge of safety-related control concepts, interlocks, or fail-safe system design.
- Experience supporting testing in R&D, prototype, or experimental environments.
- Familiarity with documentation standards such as test plans, test procedures, verification matrices, and commissioning reports.
About the company
Xcimer Energy develops inertial fusion energy technology aiming to generate fusion-powered electricity. Its system uses a 10+ megajoule KrF laser to ignite a hydrogen fusion target inside a HYLIFE-style liquid-wall chamber, which absorbs fusion energy and shields reactor walls for long life. The approach combines a high-energy laser, a consumable fusion target, and a liquid-wall chamber to pursue scalable, laser-driven inertial confinement fusion for power generation. The company’s goal is to make commercial fusion power a reality for utilities within the next decade.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$148.3M
Headquarters
Denver, Colorado
Founded
2021
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Xcimer raised $100 million in June 2024 and nearly $200 million total.
- The company expanded Denver in May 2026 and planned to double headcount.
- DOE funding, June 2026 approval, and RTX backing improve financing and recruiting access.
What critics are saying
- Vulcan site selection slipped past 2025; further delays push commercialization beyond 2035.
- Athena needs multi-megajoule lasers, tritium breeding, and grid integration before any revenue.
- Any Phoenix-to-Anvil performance miss would strand Xcimer’s capital-intensive laser platform.
What makes Xcimer Energy unique
- Xcimer’s June 2026 DOE-approved Athena roadmap validates its KrF inertial-fusion architecture.
- Phoenix started operations June 3, 2026, proving 1-kJ excimer amplification and 38-meter SBS compression.
- RTX partnered September 9, 2026, giving Xcimer defense-market validation beyond fusion alone.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Company Equity
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
-3%1 year growth
-3%2 year growth
-3%Denver-based Xcimer Energy has secured an additional $30.5 million from the US Department of Energy's Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. This brings the company's total potential DOE milestone funding to $39.5 million, with an additional $4 million previously received from ARPA-E in 2024. The laser fusion company is developing excimer laser technology designed for commercial fusion power plants. Unlike conventional solid-state approaches, Xcimer's architecture uses cost-effective gas lasers and a two-beamline configuration. In June, Xcimer launched Phoenix, the world's largest privately owned laser system. The company recently partnered with RTX to develop directed-energy air defence systems, with RTX also making an investment in Xcimer. Xcimer targets putting electricity on the grid by the mid-2030s. The company has raised approximately $200 million from investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Lowercarbon Capital.
RTX Ventures has made a minority investment in Xcimer Energy Corporation to support development of scalable pulsed-laser technologies. Xcimer has raised nearly $200 million from investors including Hedosophia and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The companies signed a teaming agreement to explore integrating Xcimer's laser technology into RTX's defence systems for defeating airborne threats. Xcimer's fusion pilot power plant design was approved by the US Department of Energy in June as part of the Milestone-based Fusion Development Program. The excimer laser system aims to deliver longer-range performance at lower cost than current directed energy systems. Xcimer expects to deliver fusion energy to the grid by the mid-2030s. RTX's chief technology officer Juan de Bedout said the partnership will explore integrating Xcimer's technology with RTX's expertise in advanced sensing and air defence.
Xcimer Energy has secured US Department of Energy approval for its preconceptual design and technology roadmap for Athena, its fusion power plant architecture. The milestone, part of the DOE's Fusion Milestone Development Program, positions the Denver-based startup amongst frontrunners to commercialise fusion energy. Xcimer's 724-page submission detailed plant performance targets, economics, engineering requirements, safety analyses and development pathways. Athena integrates the company's proprietary excimer laser platform with target delivery, fusion chamber, tritium breeding and power generation systems designed for industrial scale. The approval follows Xcimer's launch of Phoenix, the world's largest privately owned laser system, at its 74,000-square-foot Denver facility. Founded in 2022, Xcimer is developing laser fusion technology targeting costs under $100 per joule with a chamber design requiring no first-wall replacement.
Fusion startup Xcimer Energy has activated its Phoenix laser system, which the company claims is the world's largest privately owned laser. The system uses excimer amplification to generate over one kilojoule of energy through a 38-metre-long krypton-fluoride laser core. Xcimer's approach mirrors the National Ignition Facility, which in December 2022 demonstrated a controlled fusion reaction producing more power than required to ignite it. The company aims to improve upon this concept using more powerful, less complex lasers that compress fuel targets in nanoseconds rather than microseconds. Phoenix represents an early step towards a commercial fusion power plant, which Xcimer estimates would require lasers exceeding 12 megajoules. The company plans to complete a prototype by 2028 and build its first commercial-scale power plant in the mid-2030s.
Xcimer Energy has hired Doug Kunzman as Vice President of Defence as the Denver-based fusion startup scales towards commercial operations. Kunzman brings extensive military and aerospace experience, including commanding US Navy warships and leading operations at Blue Origin and Astra. The company, which now employs nearly 200 people, plans to double its workforce over the next year to advance Vulcan, its next-generation laser fusion facility. Xcimer is developing excimer-laser architecture for scalable inertial fusion energy with applications in energy resilience and national security. Recent leadership additions include Brad Appel as Chief Engineer for Vulcan, previously CTO at Ursa Major and SpaceX; Justin Brynestad as Senior Vice President overseeing Vulcan programme execution; and Rachel Konrad as Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications. Founded in 2022, Xcimer has secured Department of Energy funding.