Quantum Architect (Design)

PsiQuantum • Palo Alto, CA

5h

About The Position

PsiQuantum’s mission is to build the first useful quantum computers—machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016, our singular focus has been to build and deploy million-qubit, fault-tolerant quantum systems.
Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials, and other foundational industries.
Our architecture and approach is based on silicon photonics. By leveraging the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry—including partners like GlobalFoundries—we use the same high-volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photons don’t feel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure.
In 2024, PsiQuantum announced government-funded projects to support the build-out of our first utility-scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that quantum computing will be strategically and economically defining—and that now is the time to scale.
PsiQuantum also develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application, software, and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies—including Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mitsubishi Chemical—to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact.
Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. It represents a fundamental shift—and a path to mastering challenges that cannot be solved any other way. The potential is enormous, and we have a clear path to make it real.
Come join us.
Job Summary:
Quantum architects drive research and development of photonic quantum computing architectures, from entanglement generation through to encoded logic and error correction. A full quantum architecture design is obtained by combining many architectural methods, and by considering the details of how they can be integrated in a compatible manner, including the necessary routing, logic, and more. This design is what is required for the System Architecture and hardware teams to produce a complete specification of the system to be constructed. Candidates in this role will work on the definition of quantum architecture designs, and on the assessment of their performance, interfacing with other quantum architects as well as system architects.

Requirements

• Degree in Physics, Math or Computer Science or equivalent required.
• 3+ years of relevant academic or industry research experience in quantum computing or networking.
• Strong background in fault-tolerant quantum computing, with experience in some of the following areas strongly preferred: linear optical quantum computing, quantum error correction, quantum networks, error modelling, switching / multiplexing networks, error modelling, graphical calculus (e.g., tensor networks, ZX calculus).
• Proven team player with an ability to work effectively across departments, sites, and time zones.
• Ability to work independently and contribute in fast-moving start-up environment.

Nice To Haves

• PhD in Physics, Math or Computer Science, with a focus on quantum information theory or quantum computation preferred.
• Experience working on switching / multiplexing networks preferred.
• Experience programming in Python, C++ or similar languages is desirable.
• Competent use of collaborative software development tools (e.g., GitHub) is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Co-develop a quantum architecture design in collaboration with the broader quantum architecture team, by integrating various architectural methods.
• Specify the details of a quantum architecture design, including the required routing, logic, and more.
• Develop Python tools for the performance analysis of a design.
• Run simulations to assess the performance of design variants.
• Interface with the system architecture team to understand and incorporate system / hardware requirements as part of the design.

What This Job Offers

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