Principal Technical Specialist

Infleqtion•Louisville, CO

8h•$81,000 - $112,000•Onsite

About The Position

Within Infleqtion’s Quantum Computing Product Group, the Hardware Engineering Team is seeking a Principal Technical Specialist to provide hands-on technical stewardship across its optical and electronics laboratories and support reliable hardware inspection, assembly, integration, and test. The successful candidate will independently perform and improve practical laboratory work, including incoming inspection, cable fabrication and test, interconnect troubleshooting, laboratory organization, soldering, optical inspection, and technical documentation. They will work closely with engineers and scientists to ensure hardware, tools, workspaces, and instructions are organized, understood, and ready for use while teaching sound workmanship and laboratory practices across the team.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent and 8 or more years of relevant hands-on technical experience; relevant postsecondary education may substitute for a portion of the experience.
Demonstrated experience working in optical, electronics, engineering, manufacturing, or research laboratories with limited day-to-day supervision.
Experience performing incoming inspection and interpreting drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, specifications, work instructions, and test procedures.
Demonstrated cable and harness fabrication, inspection, continuity testing, repair, and connector workmanship skills.
Proficiency with soldering, electronic assembly, optical inspection, safe component handling, and electrostatic-discharge controls.
Ability to use common electronic and laboratory test equipment, such as digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, cable testers, microscopes, and data-acquisition equipment.
Strong practical troubleshooting skills across electrical, communication, and physical interconnections.
Ability to create and improve clear technical documentation and to communicate practical knowledge effectively to engineers, technicians, and scientists.
Strong organization, attention to detail, judgment, and follow-through in a shared laboratory environment.

Nice To Haves

Current or prior workmanship certification in areas such as J-STD-001, IPC-A-610, IPC/WHMA-A-620, or equivalent standards.
Experience with optical cleanliness, optical-component inspection, laser-safety practices, cleanrooms, or contamination-sensitive hardware.
Experience supporting multidisciplinary, low-volume, high-complexity hardware in research and development, aerospace, quantum technology, or a similar environment.
Experience establishing or improving laboratory organization, material controls, tool controls, calibration awareness, or 5S-style practices.
Experience maintaining version-controlled technical documentation or contributing to formal hardware build and test records.
A hands-on, detail-oriented mindset with a strong sense of ownership and technical accountability.
Positive, collaborative working style and enthusiasm for supporting developing engineers.

Responsibilities

Perform incoming inspection of optical and electronic components and small subsystems, record results, and identify discrepancies against available drawings, specifications, and purchase documentation.
Build, inspect, test, repair, and document cables and harnesses for laboratory and system use.
Troubleshoot electrical, communication, and physical connections between devices, instruments, and subsystems; partner with engineers to isolate root causes and implement practical solutions.
Establish and maintain orderly optical and electronics laboratory spaces, including clear labeling, storage, tool and material locations, work areas, and day-to-day workflows.
Perform soldering, optical inspection, component handling, and related hands-on work to appropriate workmanship and safety standards.
Teach and coach team members in soldering, optical inspection, component handling, laboratory organization, and other practical laboratory methods while actively performing the work.
Review and improve assembly instructions, inspection criteria, test procedures, laboratory guides, and other technical documentation for clarity, completeness, accuracy, and usability.
Maintain practical awareness of laboratory hardware, tools, materials, and equipment, including what is available, where it belongs, why it is used, and how it should be handled.
Identify workmanship risks, missing information, nonconforming hardware, and laboratory-process gaps early; resolve them directly when appropriate and escalate them when engineering or quality decisions are required.
Support cross-functional prototype and product assembly, integration, troubleshooting, and test activities as needed.