CTO - Photonics / Optics / Laser Industry

About the Company

An innovative deep-tech company developing advanced optical and laser-based technologies is seeking a CTO to lead the company's technology vision, research direction and technological innovation.

About the Role

This is a highly technical leadership role for an industry expert who is passionate about solving complex, open-ended technological problems at the research level and turning scientific insights into breakthrough technologies and working systems.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the company's technology vision, architecture and long-term technology roadmap
• Lead research and innovation in optics, photonics and laser-based technologies
• Personally engage in solving complex and fundamental technological challenges
• Identify new physical principles, technical approaches and architectures that can address challenging system requirements
• Lead and guide experimental research, optical design, modeling, simulations, measurements and characterization
• Bridge fundamental physics, optical experiments and practical technology development
• Lead multidisciplinary technical efforts across optics, photonics, laser systems, electro-optics, physics and algorithms
• Drive the transition from research concepts to validated technological solutions and working systems
• Evaluate technical feasibility, performance, limitations and trade-offs of different approaches
• Define and maintain the company's technological differentiation and competitive advantage
• Work closely with R&D and engineering teams to resolve critical technical challenges
• Maintain a deep understanding of the Photonics / Optics / Laser ecosystem, emerging technologies and competitive landscape
• Support the definition of solutions for complex customer and application requirements

Qualifications

• PhD in Experimental Physics, Applied Physics, Electro-Optics, Optics, Photonics or a closely related field from a leading university or research institution
• 7+ years of senior technology leadership experience within the Photonics / Optics / Laser industry

Required Skills

• Proven track record of leading technological innovation and solving complex, open-ended R&D problems
• Deep hands-on experience with optical experiments, laboratory systems, measurements and characterization
• Proven experience developing optical devices, laser systems, photonic components or complex electro-optical systems
• Strong understanding of optical physics, laser technologies and electro-optical systems
• Ability to move between theoretical analysis, experimentation, modeling and practical system development
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical/R&D teams
• Strong analytical and scientific problem-solving capabilities
• Experience with algorithms, optimization, numerical methods or computational modeling – an advantage
• Strong product and technology orientation
• Excellent communication and English skills

Preferred Skills

• A deep technical expert and technology leader who has spent significant time solving difficult problems in the Photonics / Optics / Laser industry and has demonstrated the ability to turn research and scientific insight into innovative technological solutions.
• The ideal candidate combines scientific depth, experimental expertise, creativity and technological leadership with the ability to guide multidisciplinary teams toward solving problems that do not have obvious solutions.