Senior Design Enablement Engineer

PsiQuantum • Palo Alto, CA

11d • $130,000 - $175,000

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: The PsiQuantum Foundry Engineering team develops a silicon photonics (SiPh) technology platform working with our development partners. The development efforts include the addition of new materials and process modules which meet the requirements of PsiQ’s product development plans for a commercially useful quantum computer. Unique materials and process modules include a superconducting single photon detector, ultra-low loss waveguides, light scattering mitigation structures (“dark box”) and a non-linear epitaxial metal oxide switch. The teams’ primary responsibilities are the enablement of new technology or modules and to provide engineering support working with the foundry. The team helps establishing design rules, design manual, reliability and qualification test vehicles, process assumptions, computational lithography, process tolerances, wafer acceptance criteria, patterning solutions, tool selection, process development for new structures and materials. Additionally, the team analyzes inline data and generates appropriate engineering line controls. The Design Enablement Engineer will support the development of new silicon photonic products in a Foundry environment. The Design Enablement Engineer will work on tape-out enablement, design rule creation, DRC checks, design for reliability, waiver review submissions, tape-outs and Process Design Kit (PDK) revisions.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or Electronic Engineering or related experience is preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in semiconductor or EDA technologies.
• Proven experience executing cross-department complex projects and working with semiconductor leading edge technologies.
• Domain knowledge: strong process knowledge; knowledge of design manual development, design rules and DRC creation; expert in setting up a design manual with a focus on new product technology development; prior experience with reliability and qualification test sites development.
• Proven team player with an ability to work effectively across departments, sites, time zones.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with an ability to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences.
• Strong critical thinking, creative, innovative, analytical, and detail oriented problem-solving skills.
• Highly focused, self-motivated and able to work independently with limited direction.
• Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple priorities and deliver against a schedule.
• Demonstrated interest in quantum computing.
• Ability to contribute in a fast-moving start-up environment.

Responsibilities

• Own execution of new and updated design rules to existing mask levels for photonics dies.
• Serve as a technical interface between PsiQ photonic design and reliability teams and Foundry.
• Evaluate interactions between layout, design, technology, and fabrication.
• Review and assess DRC waiver requests, performing technical risk assessment and ensuring proper documentation and approvals.
• Plan and support execution of engineering samples for system builds.
• Support product qualification activities, contributing to debugging and resolution of any fallouts from technology/process issues.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior