Chief Scientist, Quantum Hardware

Superlinear•Palo Alto, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Superlinear Computing is a quantum research and infrastructure company headquartered in Palo Alto, with a quantum lab at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in Chicago. We design, deploy, and operate on-premises superconducting QPU systems, apply machine learning to characterize quantum system behavior, and translate those findings into specialized hardware products. We work at the frontier of quantum hardware and real-world applications, giving researchers, enterprises, and government partners access to quantum capabilities that were previously out of reach. We believe the transition to quantum computing will be defined not just by the machines themselves, but by the infrastructure built around them. This is the senior physics seat at Superlinear Computing. You own the physical understanding across every system we operate or build — superconducting QPUs today, optical and semiconductor entropy sources as the roadmap develops, and whatever comes next. You set the direction. You define what we build, what we measure, and what good looks like. You work alongside engineering and executive leadership to translate physical intuition into product direction. You direct our bench scientists and engineers on what to measure and how to interpret it. You represent Superlinear Computing's physics work to customers, partners, government collaborators, and investors. This is a leadership seat with real ownership. The scope grows with the company.

Requirements

PhD in experimental physics, quantum engineering, or a closely related field
Deep grounding in superconducting qubit physics: coherence, gate fidelities, readout, error mechanisms
Working knowledge of microwave measurement and control: IQ mixing, heterodyne readout, pulse shaping
Track record of setting technical direction at scale — as a lab PI, group lead, technical founder, or senior industry physicist
Breadth across modalities: comfort moving between superconducting, optical, and semiconductor systems, or a clear track record of cross-modality work

Nice To Haves

Hands-on dilution refrigerator experience at the operator level
Familiarity with gate-level SDKs (pyQuil, Qiskit, Cirq) and automated calibration frameworks (QuantrolOx, QUAlibrate, Q-CTRL)
Depth in TLS physics, flux noise, readout optimization, or crosstalk characterization
Experience designing or validating optical or semiconductor entropy sources
Prior startup or industry leadership experience
Publication record or patent portfolio at the field-shaping level

Responsibilities

Own the physics roadmap across all current and emerging system types: superconducting QPUs, optical entropy sources, semiconductor entropy sources
Define figures of merit and characterization targets that our ML-driven analysis pipelines optimize against
Provide direction-setting for bench scientists and engineers in Palo Alto and Chicago on calibration, characterization, and benchmarking priorities
Investigate at the physics level into coherence dynamics, noise sources, and gate error mechanisms — and translate those findings into hardware decisions
Participate in architecture conversations with engineering leadership on system integration and what to build next
Represent Superlinear Computing's physics externally: customer conversations, partner integrations, conferences, and technical hires