About the role
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. That approach has since been tested at the highest level of scrutiny the U.S. government applies to emerging technology, and it has held up. In 2025, PsiQuantum closed a $1 billion funding round that valued the company at $7 billion. In 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce signed a $100 million Letter of Intent under the CHIPS and Science Act, followed by a $125 million agreement with DARPA under Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, PsiQuantum's most valuable U.S. government agreement to date. This year, we also broke ground on our utility-scale quantum computer in Brisbane, Australia, and continued building out our Chicago site. Victor Peng, our CEO, and co-founder Jeremy O'Brien, now Executive Chairman, lead a team and board that reflects how seriously the world is taking this build, joined this year by Intel's Lip-Bu Tan and Atomico's Niklas Zennström. 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 Airbus, 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 now have the funding, the government validation, and the sites under construction to make it real. Job Summary: The Senior Characterization & Test Engineer will own the evaluation, characterization, and validation strategy for photonic devices, packages, and subsystems. This role will lead the design and execution of electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical test programs, drive root-cause and reliability investigations, and set technical direction for the characterization lab. The engineer will work closely with product, packaging, reliability, and manufacturing teams — and mentor junior engineers — to generate the high-quality data and engineering judgment that enables product development, qualification, and volume ramp decisions. Responsibilities: Lead electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical characterization programs for photonic devices, packages, and assemblies, from test plan definition through execution and reporting. Own the design of test plans and DOEs supporting product development, process validation, reliability qualification, and failure analysis, and review/approve plans developed by junior team members. Drive selection, setup, and qualification of laboratory equipment, including optical measurement systems, vibrometers, thermal imaging systems, and mechanical testers, and define best practices for their use. Independently analyze and interpret complex test data, identify performance and reliability trends, and translate findings into engineering recommendations for product and packaging teams. Lead root-cause investigations and failure analysis efforts, coordinating across characterization, packaging, reliability, and manufacturing to close out issues. Develop and maintain automated test scripts, data pipelines, and analysis tools (Python or similar) to improve lab throughput and data quality. Author technical reports and present findings and recommendations to cross-functional and leadership audiences. Define and build new characterization methods, test fixtures, and lab capabilities to support next-generation photonic products. Own qualification and reliability test programs, including thermal, mechanical, and environmental stress testing, and represent characterization in design/qualification reviews. Establish and maintain lab documentation, test procedures, and equipment calibration standards; ensure compliance across the team. Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior characterization/test engineers and lab technicians. Partner with product, packaging, reliability, process, and manufacturing engineering to resolve complex technical challenges and influence design decisions. Experience/Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience, or Master's degree with 5+ years of relevant experience, in engineering characterization, testing, laboratory operations, or product development. Demonstrated hands-on expertise operating and troubleshooting characterization equipment including Infrared Thermography, Laser Doppler Vibrometers (LDV), Instron Universal Mechanical Testers, and C-Mode Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (C-SAM). Track record of independently analyzing thermal, mechanical, vibration, and package integrity data to drive product development, reliability, and failure analysis decisions. Deep experience with laboratory instrumentation and data acquisition system design/integration. Solid working knowledge of optics, photonics, electronics, semiconductor devices, or advanced packaging technologies. Proficiency with data analysis tools such as Python, MATLAB, JMP, or equivalent, including building automated analysis pipelines. Strong command of Design of Experiments (DOE) and statistical analysis methods, with experience designing (not just executing) test programs. Demonstrated ability to lead technical investigations and communicate findings to cross-functional and senior stakeholders. Experience mentoring or informally leading junior engineers or technicians. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Preferred Qualifications Direct experience with photonic devices, optoelectronics, semiconductor packaging, or advanced manufacturing. Experience with optical alignment, imaging systems, or optical characterization technique development. Experience building test automation frameworks or new test capability from scratch. Experience leading reliability testing or failure analysis programs, including ownership of qualification test plans. Experience presenting technical results in design reviews or to leadership. PsiQuantum provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. PsiQuantum does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable laws. Note: PsiQuantum will only reach out to you using an official PsiQuantum email address and will never ask you for bank account information as part of the interview process. Please report any suspicious activity to recruiting@psiquantum.com . We are not accepting unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. Base pay is one part of the total compensation package. Full-time roles are eligible for equity and benefits. Our compensation ranges reflect the cost of labor across multiple U.S. geographic markets, and we pay based on defined geographic zones. This position may be filled within one of the following U.S. geographic zones, each with its own salary range. Actual compensation may vary outside of these ranges and is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, a candidate's qualifications, relevant education and training, competencies, experience, geographic location, business needs, and internal equity. Your recruiter can share more details about the salary range applicable to your location during the hiring process. Zone 1 - Bay Area and NYC Zone 2 - Examples include Los Angeles and Washington DC Zone 3 - Examples include Austin, Chicago, and Sacramento Zone 4 - Examples include Nashville and Phoenix/Tempe and many remote locations This position includes the following benefits: competitive health coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) with company match, equity grants, access to financial wellness tools and planning resources, wellness benefits, family support programs, life and disability insurance, paid leave programs, company-designated paid holidays, discretionary time off (DTO), and an end-of-year company shutdown. Some of these benefits have eligibility requirements and may vary based on location, role, or employment status. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company. The e s timated annual base salary range for this role is: Zone 1 $151,800 - $178,400 USD Zone 2 $136,700 - $160,600 USD Zone 3 $121,500 - $142,700 USD Zone 4 $106,300 - $124,900 USD