LPA Design Engineer

LPA Design Engineer (m/f/d)

Hamburg, Germany | Full-time | Permanent

The Opportunity

Our client is a specialist deep-tech business developing advanced Laser-plasma accelerator technology for next-generation muon production and imaging.
They are looking for an LPA Design Engineer to lead the simulation, optimisation and physics-led design of a high-energy, high-charge Laser-plasma accelerator.
This role combines accelerator physics, PIC simulation, numerical optimisation and machine learning, with a direct connection between computational research and experimental hardware.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and optimise plasma density profiles to maximise high-energy muon production.
• Develop and extend particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation workflows from reduced-dimensionality models to full 3D.
• Build efficient optimisation loops, including multi-objective optimisation of muon yield and radiation dose.
• Develop physics-informed surrogate models and digital twins of the accelerator.
• Conduct tolerance, sensitivity and jitter studies to establish robust operating points.
• Work with experimental teams to translate simulation results into practical accelerator designs.

What they are looking for

• Strong background in Laser-plasma accelerator physics, including injection, dephasing, depletion and guiding.
• Practical PIC simulation experience using FBPIC, WarpX or comparable codes.
• Experience with Bayesian optimisation or other multi-objective optimisation methods.
• Machine learning experience, particularly physics-informed surrogate modelling.
• Strong Python programming and scientific computing skills.
• Experience with HPC environments and large-scale simulation workflows.

What's On Offer?

• Direct ownership of the accelerator's physics and working point.
• Opportunity to see simulation work translated into real experimental hardware.
• Access to high-performance computing and specialist GPU infrastructure.
• Equity participation and competitive compensation.
• Relocation and visa support where required.

Interested?

If you specialise in Laser-plasma physics, PIC simulations, computational optimisation or physics-informed machine learning, we'd welcome a confidential conversation.
Please apply to find out more.