Senior Quantum Engineer

QuEra Computing, Inc.•Boston, MA

4d•$140,000 - $211,000

About The Position

QuEra’s Laser Systems team owns the full lifecycle of quantum processing unit (QPU) laser systems, including architecture, design, construction, integration, and support across machine generations and sites in the US, Japan, and the UK. The team also develops fleet-level infrastructure to manage laser systems at scale. The Senior Quantum Engineer will join the team in Boston. Depending on their focus, the role may center on platform development and research and development, system integration and deployment, operational reliability, or a combination of these areas. The engineer will work directly with laser systems powering neutral atom QPUs across multiple active laser families, collaborate with internal teams and external co-development partners, and contribute to a program central to QuEra’s technical roadmap. The work may include designing and developing scalable, serviceable laser platforms; evaluating laser technologies and partner systems; integrating and commissioning laser systems; designing stabilization systems; supporting operational reliability; and developing automation approaches for fleet-scale laser management. The role also involves cross-functional collaboration, technical documentation, and contributing to technology roadmaps and platform decisions.

Requirements

B.S. or M.S. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; equivalent hands-on experience will be considered.
Experience with laser systems, optical subsystems, or opto-mechanical integration in a precision or scientific instrumentation context.
Strong experimental and troubleshooting skills, with a hands-on approach to engineering challenges in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
Clear written and verbal communication.

Nice To Haves

Deep expertise in nonlinear optics, frequency conversion techniques, or high-power photonic systems.
Experience with vibration isolation, thermal management, and mechanical integration of precision platforms.
Proven vendor co-development experience, from requirements definition through prototype and production.
Prior experience in quantum computing, advanced photonics, or scientific instrumentation environments.
Background in AMO experiments or quantum systems; familiarity with how laser performance requirements arise from atomic physics constraints is a strong plus.
Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, strongly preferred for R&D-focused roles.

Responsibilities

Design and develop infrastructure-grade laser systems with repeatable, modular, field-serviceable architectures, including programmable optical engines, integrated modulators, co-packaging approaches, and interfaces compatible with automated control and monitoring.
Evaluate emerging laser technologies and co-development partner systems for technical performance, integration readiness, and long-term scalability.
Contribute to the architecture of hosting infrastructure for quantum laser systems, meeting requirements for vibration isolation, thermal stability, noise, and QPU integrability.
Own build, integration, and validation across optical, electrical, and mechanical interface standards.
Install and commission laser systems within QPU platforms and manage technical handoffs with build, operations, and development teams.
Prepare and ship laser subsystems to domestic and international sites, ensuring they arrive integration-ready.
Design and implement laser stabilization systems for intensity, frequency, and phase noise, including servo loop design, locking architectures, and performance characterization.
Monitor and sustain uptime for production and development laser systems, leading triage and root-cause analysis for unplanned downtime.
Perform precision fiber alignment and implement automated fiber coupling systems.
Maintain SOPs, QA documentation, and integration records, and coordinate vendor service and RMA processes as needed.
Help scale laser management with fleet growth by reducing per-system overhead through automation, including AI-powered control agents and LLM-assisted workflows for tasks such as autonomous laser locking and heterogeneous hardware orchestration.
Partner with Hardware, Software, Systems Engineering, Build, and Operations teams to ensure seamless integration, manufacturability, and field readiness of laser systems.
Contribute to laser system technology roadmaps and platform decisions spanning multiple QPU generations.
Deliver technical transfer packages and engineering documentation to support productization and new platform design.