A robust injector capable of controlling the radius and angle of incidence of the pulsed, intense, annular electron beam extracted from the HERMES III accelerator is described. The injector, called the compound lens, uses a tapered anode to control the beam electrostatically, followed by a gas cell with externally applied current to control the beam magnetically. Adjustment of the anode‐cathode gap and external current of the injector permits the radius and angle to be defined independently of one another. Measurements of these quantities confirm model expectations.