Staff Optical Engineer

Infleqtion•Boulder, CO

11d•$175,000 - $220,000•Onsite

About The Position

Within Infleqtion’s Quantum Computing Product Group, the Hardware Engineering Team is seeking a Staff Optical Engineer to provide deep technical contribution and subsystem-level leadership in advanced optical systems for neutral-atom quantum computing. The successful candidate will independently own complex optical subsystems, working closely with physicists and cross-disciplinary engineering teams to translate experimental requirements into robust, high-performance optical designs. This role is hands-on and laboratory-focused, with responsibility for driving designs from research-grade implementations toward reliable, scalable hardware solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in optical engineering, physics, or a related field with at least 6 years of relevant industry experience. A Master’s degree or PhD are preferred and may be counted towards experience requirement.
Strong experience designing, modeling, and validating laser-based, atomic, or quantum optics systems.
Hands-on laboratory expertise in precision optical alignment and experimental troubleshooting.
Proficiency with Zemax (OpticStudio) for optical system design and tolerance analysis.
Working knowledge of SolidWorks sufficient to collaborate on opto-mechanical layouts and interfaces.
Experience using git or similar version control systems for design artifacts, scripts, or analysis tools.
Experience mentoring or technically leading engineers in a research or hardware-focused environment.

Nice To Haves

Background in atomic physics, quantum optics, or photonics research environments.
Experience working with stability-sensitive optical systems subject to thermal, vibrational, or long-term drift effects.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to bridge physics and engineering perspectives.
A hands-on, detail-oriented mindset with a strong sense of ownership and technical accountability.
Positive, collaborative working style and enthusiasm for mentoring and developing engineers.

Responsibilities

Leading the design, modeling, and validation of complex optical and laser-based subsystems supporting neutral-atom quantum computing platforms.
Developing and integrating scalable atom addressing and control technologies. This includes but is not limited to digital micromirror devices (DMDs), spatial light modulators (SLMs), acousto-optic deflectors (AODs), electro-optic modulators (EOMs), metasurface-based optics, and fast multi-beam steering architectures.
Designing and implementing (at a subsystem level) atom-resolved detection and feedback systems using state-of-the-art sensors such as SPAD/EMCCD/sCMOS cameras, and high-speed photodetectors, with consideration for scaling readout bandwidth, latency, and data throughput.
Collaborating closely with physicists and optical, mechanical, electrical, software, and systems engineers to support the full experimental and hardware development lifecycle, from early research demonstrations to integrated, scalable systems.
Leading hands-on laboratory efforts, including optical assembly, precision alignment, debugging, and performance characterization of complex, multi-channel optical systems.
Developing and maintaining high-fidelity optical models using Zemax (OpticStudio), including tolerance analysis, sensitivity studies, and performance optimization informed by experimental data and system-level requirements.
Defining and executing experimental strategies to characterize optical stability, drift, noise sources, and scaling limits, and using those results to inform design tradeoffs.
Leading the transition within a defined architecture of optical subsystems from research-grade configurations to repeatable, maintainable, and scalable hardware suitable for larger atom counts.
Providing technical guidance, and mentorship to optical engineers through design reviews, hands-on coaching, and identifying professional development opportunities.
Establishing and improving best practices for optical design workflows, laboratory procedures, documentation, and version control.
Supporting technical troubleshooting and cross-functional design reviews as needed to resolve complex system-level issues.