Director, Licensing & Regulatory Affairs

Xcimer Energy is a fusion energy company focused on commercializing laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, which it describes as the only scientifically validated form of fusion energy. The company is developing high-energy excimer laser systems designed to ignite fusion reactions using fuel derived from seawater and lithium, with the goal of delivering safe, clean, and affordable electricity that is cost-competitive with fossil fuels and renewables. Its mission centers on decarbonizing energy-intensive sectors such as artificial intelligence infrastructure, desalination, and industrial processes that require firm, always-on, carbon-free power. Xcimer's technical approach relies on electron-beam-pumped excimer lasers combined with a pulse compression technique called Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), which compresses microsecond laser pulses to nanosecond durations without damaging optics. In 2024 the company broke ground on Phoenix, its first prototype high-energy laser system, located in Denver, Colorado, and announced the start of its operations in June 2026. Phoenix is the first electron-beam-pumped excimer laser built in the private sector in more than two decades and validates key elements of the company's low-cost laser fusion architecture. Xcimer's longer-term target is Athena, which it describes as the world's first laser fusion power plant, expected to deliver 400 megawatts of continuous clean energy by 2035. The company has received a U.S. Department of Energy approval of its fusion power plant preconceptual design and technology roadmap milestone, and collaborates with industrial partners such as TRUMPF Laser SE. With a team of nearly 200 engineers, physicists, and business professionals, Xcimer positions itself as the most technically mature private laser fusion company.

Responsibilities

• Regulatory strategy: Develop, own and execute Xcimer’s licensing and permitting strategy for current and future facilities, including pathway selection across the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) byproduct-material framework and Agreement State programs, jointly with Engineering leadership. 
• Agency relationships: Serve as Xcimer’s primary point of contact with the NRC, Agreement State radiation control offices, federal and state environmental agencies, and local permitting and building authorities; lead pre-application meetings and ongoing regulator engagement. 
• Application program management: Plan, schedule, budget, and manage license and permit applications from pre-application through approval: define submittal content and structure, assign contributors, integrate technical inputs from Engineering, control document versions, and coordinate responses to requests for additional information (RAIs). 
• Permit inventory and calendar: Own the enterprise inventory of required licenses and permits (radioactive materials, environmental, air, water, land use, building, and others) with lead times, dependencies, and renewal dates, and integrate it into facility and program schedules. 
• Site and environmental permitting: Lead non-technical environmental review and site permitting activities, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes where federal funding or action applies, and air, water, land-use, and zoning approvals, working with Capital Projects/Facilities and outside consultants. 
• Compliance obligations system: Build and run the register of regulatory commitments and license conditions; assign owners, track closure, and provide leadership with a clear view of status and risk. 
• Inspections, reporting, and records: Coordinate agency inspections and audits, required notifications and periodic reports, and the regulatory records system; manage correspondence and ensure submittals are traceable and retrievable. 
• License administration: Once licensed, administer licenses (amendments, renewals, fees, and conditions) in partnership with the Radiation Safety Officer and EH&S. 
• Regulatory intelligence: Monitor federal and state rulemaking and guidance affecting fusion and laser facilities, assess impact, and coordinate Xcimer’s formal comments and industry positions with Engineering, Legal, and External Affairs. 
• Budget and partners: Manage the department budget and the portfolio of licensing consultants and specialist firms; timely escalate to and coordinate with Legal any unresolved regulatory matters or issues to engage and direct regulatory counsel. 
• Cross-functional governance: Serve on the company Safety Working Group and relevant design and readiness reviews to ensure regulatory requirements and commitments flow into design, construction, and operations. 
• Team leadership: Recruit, develop, and lead a team of licensing and permitting specialists and compliance administrators; establish the department’s procedures, tools, and metrics. 

Qualifications 

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical science, environmental science, public policy, or a related field; or equivalent experience. 
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in regulatory affairs, licensing, or permitting for nuclear, radiological, energy, or other highly regulated industrial facilities, including 5+ years leading teams or programs. 
• Direct experience preparing and managing license or permit applications through approval with the NRC, an Agreement State, DOE, or comparable federal or state regulators. 
• Working knowledge of radioactive materials licensing (e.g., 10 CFR Parts 20 and 30 or Agreement State equivalents) and of environmental permitting and NEPA processes. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-contributor submittals to schedule and budget, and to integrate technical content produced by engineering teams. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including regulatory correspondence and briefings to executives and agency staff. 
• Willingness to travel as needed to agencies, sites, and prospective facility locations. 

• 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 of granted asylum.

Desired

• Experience licensing first-of-a-kind facilities or technologies, including fusion, accelerators, research reactors, or advanced reactors. 
• Experience with Agreement State fusion or accelerator regulatory programs and with the NRC’s fusion machine rulemaking. 
• Experience standing up a regulatory affairs or compliance function in a fast-growing organization. 
• Familiarity with laser product and laser safety regulatory requirements (e.g., FDA/CDRH, ANSI Z136). 
• Experience with commitment-tracking and records management systems for regulated facilities. 
• Advanced degree or professional credential (e.g., PE, JD, PMP, or Regulatory Affairs certification).