Director Environment Health Safety

Location: Remote (with required on-site presence in New York and Texas during the facility build-out phase) About xLightxLight is building the world's most powerful laser to revolutionize semiconductor lithography, metrology, and for other critical applications. Our approach harnesses the power of free-electron lasers, building on accelerator technology in use globally at scientific user facilities. Extending this technology, we are developing industrial-grade light sources, engineered for continuous operation, to meet the sophisticated demands of next-generation patterning, metrology, and inspection applications. Join us in this new revolution. At xLight, we hire exceptional talent — and exceptional means more than a strong résumé. How we achieve results is just as important as the results themselves, which is why attitude and character matter as much as technical skill. We believe great talent is widely distributed, not confined to a particular school or background. We seek individuals who demonstrate ownership, a spirit of collaboration, technical curiosity, and a genuine willingness to learn and grow — guided by our core values of Respect, Integrity, Creativity, and Engineering Excellence. We don't just hire for what someone can do today. We hire for who they are and who they are becoming. What We Need — and Why It Mattersx Light is hiring its founding ESH&Q Director to build and lead the company's safety, health, environmental, and quality program from the ground up. Reporting directly to the COO, this person will be the organization's Chief Safety Officer in practice — establishing the regulatory framework, assembling the ESH&Q team, and embedding a safety-first culture at every level of the company. The role spans accelerator safety (electron beam / FEL), Class 4 laser systems, facility construction, chemical hygiene, and early-stage quality systems.

What You'll Do: Program Architecture

• Establish xLight's Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) per OSHA Title 8 §3203
• Design and implement the company's accelerator radiation control program, laser safety program, and construction safety program
• Define ESH&Q governance: committee structure, authority matrix, escalation paths, and board reporting
• Develop the ESH&Q organizational roadmap and hire/manage the first three safety specialists (Radiation, Construction, Laser) Regulatory Compliance & AHJ Relations
• Serve as xLight's primary interface with OSHA, NRC, State Radiological Boards, State and Local Building & Fire, and other regulatory bodies
• Lead all permitting activities for accelerator operations, laser systems, and facility construction
• Maintain the Radiation Use Authorization (RUA) or equivalent accelerator operating license
• Ensure compliance with ANSI Z136, NFPA 70E, IEC 60825, CFR 10 Part 20, and Local Code of Regulations Title 17 (Radiation) for respective accelerator sites, NY and TX to start. Culture & Training
• Champion a proactive safety culture — integrate ESH&Q into product development, engineering reviews, and facility design
• Develop and deliver ESH&Q onboarding and role-specific training programs
• Conduct regular workplace inspections, safety audits, and management-level safety reviews Incident Management & Quality
• Own incident investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective action tracking
• Lead the company's Quality Management System (QMS) initiation and eventual ISO 9001 / AS9100 pathway
• Manage emergency response planning and business continuity for safety-critical events