Q - Physicist - Laser Biophysics & Safety
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 4, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 3, 2026. Apple scores A on the Alion truth index.
Our team is new, growing, and evolving quickly, and we are hiring across multiple disciplines. We work at the intersection of machine learning, hardware, and software, creating technologies that reshape how people communicate and experience the world around them in everyday life.
Description
We are a growing physics and advanced technology team working at the intersection of cutting-edge research and real-world product feasibility. We are seeking a senior Physicist with deep domain expertise in laser-tissue interaction and laser safety engineering. In this role, you will lead the scientific investigation of optical energy delivery, investigate photo-induced tissue damage mechanisms, and establish the fundamental safety and formal classification frameworks for a groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind optical technology.
Define experimental and theoretical research strategies to characterize light-tissue interactions, optical penetration, and thermal/mechanical effects in biological media.
Design, build, and operate experimental lab setups to investigate photo-induced tissue damage (e.g., dermal and ocular tissue models), defining precise biological damage thresholds and exposure margins.
Serve as the team's foremost authority on laser safety, leading formal laser classification (e.g., IEC 60825, ANSI Z136, FDA CDRH) and product safety compliance.
Translate complex biological damage models and physical limits into actionable system-level specifications, hardware constraints, and operational safeguards.
Define and design system level solutions for safety compliance.
Develop and validate analytical and numerical simulation models (e.g., Monte Carlo light transport, thermal bio-heat equations) to predict tissue response and optical safety margins.
Analyze and report empirical findings clearly, enabling cross-functional engineering teams to make rigorous, risk-informed architecture decisions.
Partner with multidisciplinary teams across hardware, firmware, optics, and human factors to drive feasibility from concept to safe, viable product implementations.
Minimum Qualifications
Ph.D in Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
10+ years of hands-on experience in laser physics, biomedical optics, or laser-matter interaction.
Proven track record in experimental research investigating light-tissue interaction and photo-induced tissue damage (thermal, photochemical, or photomechanical mechanisms).
Direct laboratory experience working with lasers and biological tissues (tissue optics, ex-vivo/in-vitro models, or tissue phantoms).
In-depth expertise in laser safety standards and formal classification
Strong hands-on laboratory capabilities: setting up optical beam delivery, beam profiling, dosimetry, and sensitive detection/characterization instrumentation.
Preferred Qualifications
Post-doctoral research or leadership role in biophotonics, laser-tissue dynamics, or medical laser technology.
Hands-on experience navigating regulatory approval or safety certification for consumer or medical optical systems.
Deep understanding of ultrafast / short-pulse laser interactions with biological tissue and nonlinear optical damage regimes.
Proficiency with numerical modeling of optical propagation in scattering media (e.g., Monte Carlo simulations of light transport, FEM bio-heat transfer).
Outstanding communicator with the ability to bridge fundamental biophysics, laser safety standards, and practical hardware design for cross-functional teams.