Principal Quantum Engineer

Microsoft • Santa Barbara, CA

2d

About The Position

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. At Microsoft Quantum, we aim to empower science and scientists to solve the world's biggest problems by realizing advanced computing platforms at the intersection of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum information technology.
We are looking for a diverse set of talented and focused people to accelerate the delivery of useful quantum computers. Microsoft has an internal program pursuing topological qubits for large-scale quantum computing. We are also working closely with a growing list of companies to advance quantum computer systems at every layer of the stack and bring them to market on the Microsoft Quantum accelerator platform. We believe AI can accelerate both the creation of useful quantum computers and bring-in the timelines for their realization. For more information about the Microsoft Quantum team, please visit https://quantum.microsoft.com/
The Quantum Design team at Microsoft is seeking a Principal Quantum Engineer to design next-generation QPUs (quantum processing units). This role offers a unique opportunity to shape revolutionary technology and accelerate progress toward scalable quantum computing based on topological qubits.
As a Principal Quantum Engineer, you will operate at a technical leadership level, working on the multi-qubit designs and shaping engagement model for development of next-generation QPUs. This role expands beyond individual contribution to include technical direction-setting, cross-organization influence, and strategic partnerships.

Requirements

• Doctorate in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment OR Master's Degree in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment.
• OR Bachelor's Degree in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment OR equivalent experience.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
• Citizenship & Citizenship Verification: This role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations, the EU Dual Use Regulation, and/or other export control regulations. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide either proof of their country of citizenship or proof of their U.S. permanent residency or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export-controlled information. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status using other documents, where applicable.
• Ability to leverage AI tools to drive innovation and efficiency (e.g., performance modeling and analysis, research gathering, day to day task automation).

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with industry-standard or custom developed chip and circuit design/layout tools
• Demonstrated technical leadership on complex, multi-disciplinary hardware programs
• Experience with industrial semiconductor device design and fabrication processes and tools like process design kits and electronic design automation
• Hands-on experience engaging with foundries or semiconductor manufacturing partners
• Experience with IC or ASIC design flows (RTL-to-GDS, physical design, verification)
• Knowledge of quantum computing hardware platforms (superconducting, topological, or spin-based qubits)

Responsibilities

• CrossDisciplinary CoDesign: Partner closely with fabrication, systems, packaging, and control teams to codesign QPUs, incorporating systemlevel constraints, process limitations, and scalability requirements.
• Technical Authority & Partner Interface: Serve as a technical interface and design authority for engagements with design, fabrication, and packaging partners.
• Process & Workflow Optimization: Apply integratedcircuit design principles and engineering best practices to continuously improve design workflows, decisionmaking rigor, and execution efficiency.
• Foundry CoDevelopment: Codevelop process assumptions, design rules, PDK extensions, and qualification strategies in close collaboration with fabrication partners.
• Other: Embody our Culture and Values
• Apply AI to accelerate engineering and lab workflows. Design and build AI agents/copilots that assist with experiment setup, log triage, measurement report generation, protocol templating, and knowledge retrieval (e.g., instrument manuals, design docs).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree