Full-Time

Senior Structural Analyst

opto-mechanical, fluid-structure interactions

Xcimer Energy

Xcimer Energy

51-200 employees

Develops inertial fusion power using laser

Compensation Overview

$160k - $200k/yr

No H1B Sponsorship

Denver, CO, USA

In Person

US Citizenship Required

Bachelor's, Master's

Category
Aerospace Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Nastran
FEM/FEA

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Requirements
  • Education: B.S. degree in mechanical engineering (or a related engineering field).
  • Experience: 8+ years of structural/mechanical analysis experience supporting engineered hardware (e.g., energy, aerospace, automotive, or high-precision machines).
  • Experience with one or more commercial finite element analysis tools (e.g., Altair, ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran) and best practices for model verification/validation.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of load paths and stress analysis bolted joints, weldments, frames, mounts, and pressure-containing components.
  • Demonstrated experience with static and dynamic FEM simulations.
  • Strong fundamentals in classical mechanics of materials and structural sizing methods (hand calculations, closed-form solutions).
  • Knowledge of engineering materials, manufacturing processes, and how they influence structural performance, tolerances, and reliability.
  • 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.
Responsibilities
  • Perform structural and mechanical analyses for opto-mechanical, thermal-mechanical, fluid-structure interactions, and support-structure hardware to support design, manufacturing, assembly, and test.
  • Validate finite element models based on internal and external data.
  • Create analysis documentation that is concise, accurate, and traceable; produce reports supporting design reviews and test readiness.
  • Perform peer reviews of analysis and reports generated by other team members and incorporate feedback.
  • Provide analysis guidance to design engineers and mentor junior analysts; help establish best practices for modeling, margins, and documentation.
  • Support prototype builds and test operations by troubleshooting structural/mechanical issues, dispositioning nonconformances, and recommending corrective actions.
Desired Qualifications
  • M.S. degree in mechanical engineering (or equivalent advanced degree/experience).
  • Experience supporting test campaigns, instrumentation/strain gauging, and correlation of analysis to test results.
  • Proficiency with Altair Optistruct and Radioss
  • Experience with nonlinear materials, vibration, fatigue, creep, high temperatures, and ceramic materials.
  • Experience applying ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code requirements to analyses.
  • Demonstrated experience using scripting languages (e.g., Python, MATLAB, VBA) to automate analyses, post-process results, and improve repeatability and efficiency.
  • CAD and PLM experience (NX and Teamcenter)
  • Multiphysics simulation development and validation

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

Series A

Total Funding

$117.8M

Headquarters

Denver, Colorado

Founded

2021

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • DOE approved Athena on June 10, 2026, after reviewing Xcimer's 724-page roadmap.
  • Phoenix started operations June 3, 2026, inside Xcimer's 74,000-square-foot Denver facility.
  • Xcimer hired nearly 200 employees and plans to double headcount by 2027.

What critics are saying

  • Vulcan site selection remains unfinished, delaying the 2031 engineering-breakeven target.
  • KrF module scaling from Phoenix to 12 MJ demands unproven cost-down and reliability.
  • If Phoenix or Vulcan misses milestones, DOE support and fusion credibility collapse.

What makes Xcimer Energy unique

  • Phoenix validates KrF excimer lasers and SBS compression at fusion-relevant energies.
  • Xcimer pairs DOE-approved Athena design with HYLIFE liquid-wall chamber economics.
  • The company owns a vertically integrated path from Phoenix to Vulcan to Athena.

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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

Headcount

6 month growth

-3%

1 year growth

-5%

2 year growth

0%
Business Wire
Jun 10th, 2026
DOE approves Xcimer's fusion power plant design, clears path to commercial laser fusion

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.

TechCrunch
Jun 3rd, 2026
World's largest privately owned laser switched on by fusion startup Xcimer Energy

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.

Business Wire
May 12th, 2026
Xcimer Energy hires defence VP as fusion startup scales team to 400 amid $90M facility build

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.

Business Wire
Jun 6th, 2024
Xcimer Raises $100 Million to Put Inertial Fusion Energy on Path to Commercialization

Xcimer Energy Inc. today announced that it has raised $100 million in Series A financing led by Hedosophia, with participation from investors includin

Yahoo Finance
Jun 5th, 2024
Xcimer Raises $100 Million to Put Inertial Fusion Energy on Path to Commercialization

DENVER, June 04, 2024--Xcimer Energy Inc. today announced that it has raised $100 million in Series A financing led by Hedosophia, with participation from investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Prelude Ventures, Emerson Collective, Gigascale Capital and Starlight Ventures. Xcimer will use this financing to establish a new facility in Denver, where it will build a prototype laser system including the world’s largest nonlinear optical pulse compression system to adv