--- title: 'Staff Software Engineer, Photonics at PsiQuantum' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-software-engineer-photonics-psiquantum-palo-alto-qnbz3a1ha7w9' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-19' --- # Staff Software Engineer, Photonics at PsiQuantum - **Company:** PsiQuantum - **Location:** Palo Alto, CA - **Compensation:** $165k–$277k - **Posted:** 2026-06-09 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-19 - **Apply:** https://www.psiquantum.com/apply?gh_jid=7767571003 ## Job description 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: As an integral part of the team developing a photonic quantum computer, the Staff Software Engineer will own the software that drives automated testing, calibration, and data acquisition across our fleet of electro-optical test stations including the sequencing, measurement, and instrument-control code that runs on the test stations built by our hardware test automation team. Responsibilities: - Own and extend the test-sequencing software (measurement methods, sequencer logic, instrument drivers) used across the electro-optical test fleet, from prototype through production scale. - Design and implement automated measurement methods for electrical, optical, and electro-optical characterization (e.g. spectrum sweeps, IV sweeps, automated optical alignment) across multi-instrument control chains. - Build and maintain instrument control layers (SCPI/VISA-based drivers) for lab and production instrumentation. - Diagnose and fix fleet-wide test-sequencing issues throughput regressions, alignment/movement bugs, timing anomalies from logs, dashboards, and measurement data. - Design failure handling so real hardware/measurement failures surface clearly instead of shipping bad data silently. - Partner with the hardware test automation team to translate new test station designs into automated test and calibration procedures. Experience/Qualifications: - BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience (MS with 6+ years, or PhD with 3+ years). - Strong Python skills, including asynchronous programming. - Hands-on experience building automated test/measurement software with instrument control (SCPI/VISA/GPIB). - Working knowledge of electrical, optical, or electro-optical measurement concepts. - Experience debugging distributed or fleet-scale systems. - Comfortable working at the boundary between software and hardware. - Experience with photonics, quantum hardware, or semiconductor/wafer-level test. - Familiarity with test data platforms and pipelines 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 estimated annual base salary range for this role is: Zone 1 $235,600—$276,800 USD Zone 2 $212,000—$249,100 USD Zone 3 $188,400—$221,400 USD Zone 4 $164,900—$193,800 USD ## About PsiQuantum ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: PsiQuantum is building and deploying the world’s first utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers using a photonic approach and commercial semiconductor manufacturing. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series E) - **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, USA - **Founded**: 2016 - **Founders**: Prof. Jeremy O’Brien, Prof. Terry Rudolph, Dr. Pete Shadbolt, Prof. Mark Thompson ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Quantum Computing - **Target customers**: Enterprises, governments, and researchers in energy, materials, pharmaceuticals, finance, and national security sectors - **Mission**: To build and deploy useful, fault-tolerant quantum computers that can solve previously intractable problems. ## Products & Services - **[Omega Chipset]**: A silicon photonic chipset, manufactured at scale at GlobalFoundries’ Fab 8 (Malta, NY), integrating all photonic components (superconducting detectors, single photon sources, optical switches) for fault-tolerant quantum computing. - **[Construct Platform]**: A free, open-access software platform launched in May 2026 for designing quantum circuits, writing and simulating fault-tolerant quantum algorithms, and optimizing resources. Supports visual circuit design and Python-based tools. - **[Utility-Scale Quantum Computers]**: Modular, fault-tolerant quantum computers being built at two sites — Moreton Bay Central, Queensland, Australia (ground broken June 2026) and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) in Chicago, USA. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Total Funding**: Not publicly disclosed, but the company raised a **$1 billion Series E** financing round in 2025. It also signed a **$100 million Letter of Intent** with the U.S. Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act (May 2026). - **Key Metric**: **500+ employees** (as of 2026) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: - U.S. Department of Commerce (CHIPS Act incentives) - DARPA (advanced to final phase of US2QC program within the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative) - U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory ($22.5 million contract) - Australian Commonwealth and Queensland governments (A$940 million investment package announced April 2024) - GlobalFoundries (manufacturing partner) - Hartree Centre (UK research partnership) - **Growth Signals**: - Broke ground on the world’s first utility-scale quantum computer site in Australia (June 2026). - Opened a new Test & Validation Lab at Griffith University, Brisbane (2024-2025). - Launched Construct software platform to all developers (May 2026), expanding community reach. - Established an R&D facility at STFC Daresbury Laboratory, UK. - Government Advisory Board established with senior former U.S. officials. ## Competitive Advantages - **Photonic Approach**: Uses photons (light) as qubits, which do not feel heat or electromagnetic interference. This allows control electronics to be colocated close to the qubit, reducing system size and cost. - **Semiconductor Leverage**: Manufactures chips at a commercial, high-volume foundry (GlobalFoundries), leveraging trillions of dollars of existing infrastructure — a stark contrast to the custom cleanroom approach of most quantum startups. - **Modular & Fiber-Based Scaling**: Uses standard telecom optical fiber to network chips, solving the inter-chip connection challenge with ultra-low-loss (reduced from ~50% to ~1%), enabling error-correction-compatible scaling. - **Government Backing**: Deep partnerships with U.S. and Australian governments, DARPA, and key national labs signal strong trust and long-term strategic alignment. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale to Utility**: Building the world’s first utility-scale (million-qubit) fault-tolerant quantum computers and deploying them as infrastructure. - **Geographic Expansion**: Simultaneous buildouts in Australia (Moreton Bay) and the U.S. (Chicago), with R&D in the UK. - **Ecosystem Development**: Growing the developer community through the free Construct platform to build applications and algorithms before the hardware is fully online. - **Technology Stack Integration**: Continuous improvement of the Omega chipset, cryogenic cabinets, networking, and control systems as an integrated platform. ## Why Work Here - **Groundbreaking Mission**: Opportunity to work on one of the hardest engineering challenges of our time — building useful quantum computers that could reshape energy, materials, pharma, and national security. - **Career Impact**: Be part of a team scaling from “lab to fab” with a strong track record of meeting DARPA milestones and government contracts. The company is moving from R&D into construction and deployment. - **Flexible Work Policy**: Offers in-office, hybrid, and remote options depending on team and location. - **Benefits**: - Competitive health, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents - 401(k) with company match, equity grants, financial wellness tools - Generous parental leave policy - Discretionary Time Off (DTO) plus federal holidays and end-of-year company shutdown - $200 quarterly health reimbursement - 12 therapy + 6 coaching sessions with Modern Health - Annual membership to Care.com - **Locations**: Palo Alto (HQ, CA), Brisbane (QLD, Aus), Chicago (IL), Daresbury (UK), Malta (NY). Global team with multiple R&D and manufacturing hubs. ## Sources 1. [PsiQuantum Official Site](https://www.psiquantum.com/) 2. [PsiQuantum About Page](https://www.psiquantum.com/about) 3. [PsiQuantum Careers Page](https://www.psiquantum.com/careers) 4. [PsiQuantum Technology Page](https://www.psiquantum.com/technology) 5. [Wikipedia - PsiQuantum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PsiQuantum) ## Other roles at PsiQuantum - [Staff Firmware Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-firmware-engineer-psiquantum-milpitas-cb55bydby0vf) — Milpitas, CA - [NPI Test Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/npi-test-engineer-psiquantum-singapore-kr3qnb455gst) — Singapore - [Staff AI Product Engineer, FW/SW](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-ai-product-engineer-fw-sw-psiquantum-milpitas-spbgk54rv4qz) — Milpitas, CA - [Director, Electro-Optical Validation](https://feeny.ai/job/director-electro-optical-validation-psiquantum-milpitas-dap9x9y9dba9) — Milpitas, CA - [Photonics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/photonics-engineer-psiquantum-palo-alto-f658vsdywfnk) — Palo Alto, CA - [Senior Mechanical Design Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mechanical-design-engineer-psiquantum-milpitas-dqpat90p182q) — Milpitas, CA - [Senior R&D Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-r-d-engineer-psiquantum-palo-alto-34sgmsd828xa) — Palo Alto, CA - [System Modeling and Simulation Lead (Quantum Systems)](https://feeny.ai/job/system-modeling-and-simulation-lead-quantum-systems-psiquantum-milpitas-ctz9e29tw1zc) — Milpitas, CA - [R&D Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/r-d-technician-psiquantum-greater-albany-zdhddchfeqrz) — Greater Albany, NY - [Cryogenic Electrical Interconnect Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/cryogenic-electrical-interconnect-engineer-psiquantum-milpitas-xtcj9kzkr6rn) — Milpitas, CA