Lead Physicist – Apollo Integration and Verification - 790

Quantinuum is seeking Lead Physicist - Apollo Integration and Verification in our Broomfield, CO location to join our System Development team. In this role, you will help shape the design of next-generation trapped-ion quantum computing systems by applying deep operational expertise to the development of reliable, scalable, and production-ready products.

Working alongside scientists and engineers across multiple disciplines, you will influence how our quantum computers are designed, controlled, and operated. You will leverage hands-on experience operating complex quantum systems to guide hardware design decisions, improve system usability, and define the software orchestration and monitoring capabilities required to efficiently operate, diagnose, and maintain commercial quantum computers. This will culminate in developing a design from concept to first product launch, and a design now ready for production. This role combines experimental science with system design and offers the opportunity to directly influence the evolution of Quantinuum's future hardware platforms.

All applicants for placement in safety-sensitive positions will be required to submit to a pre-employment drug test.

Key Responsibilities:

• Apply extensive operational experience with trapped-ion quantum computers to influence the design of next-generation commercial systems.
• Shape system-level design decisions that improve reliability, usability, serviceability, manufacturability, and overall system performance.
• Define requirements for system monitoring, diagnostics, automation, and software orchestration to enable efficient operation and maintenance of complex quantum computing hardware.
• Collaborate closely with software, controls, electrical, mechanical, and quantum hardware engineers to translate operational experience into robust product designs.
• Operate and characterize prototype and production quantum computing systems, designing experiments to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for design improvements.
• Analyze experimental data to understand system behavior, identify performance limitations, and guide future hardware and software development.
• Review hardware designs, software implementations, and engineering documentation to ensure new capabilities improve system performance and operational efficiency.
• Support system bring-up, first-article builds, customer deployments, and the transition of new technologies into manufacturing and operations.
• Communicate significant technical results through internal design reviews, technical publications, conference presentations, and interactions with customers and collaborators.
  
  

YOU MUST HAVE:

• PhD must be completed prior to start date
• 8 years’ of directly applicable experience (PhD inclusive)
• Due to Contractual requirements, must be a U.S. Person defined as, U.S. citizen permanent resident or green card holder, workers granted asylum or refugee status.
• Due to national security requirements imposed by the U.S. Government, candidates for this position must not be a People's Republic of China national or Russian national unless the candidate is also a U.S. citizen.
  
  

WE VALUE:

• Completed PhD in Physics or related field with background in cold atom physics
• Experience building trapped-ion or cold atom hardware systems
• Experience working with quantum computing hardware, including experience programming experimental control systems for data collection, signal processing, and data analysis
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with published results within their field of research.
• As a top candidate, you will have strong organizational and leadership skills, and be good at working with customers and partners
  
  

Quantinuum is the world leader in quantum computing. The company’s quantum systems deliver the highest performance across all industry benchmarks. Quantinuum’s over 650 employees, including 400 scientists and engineers, across the US, UK, Germany, and Japan, are driving the quantum computing revolution.

By uniting best-in-class software with high-fidelity hardware, our integrated full-stack approach is accelerating the path to practical quantum computing and scaling its impact across multiple industries.

By joining Quantinuum, you’ll be at the forefront of this transformative revolution, shaping the future of quantum computing, pushing the limits of technology, and making the impossible possible.

What’s in it for you?

A competitive salary and innovative, game-changing work

Flexible work schedule

Employer subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) match for student loan repayment benefit

Equity, 401k retirement savings plan 12 Paid holidays and generous vacation sick time

Paid parental leave

Employee discounts

Quantinuum is an equal opportunity employer. You will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, or veteran status. Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Compensation & Benefits:

Incentive Eligible - Range posted is inclusive of bonus target

The pay range for this role is $164,000 - $205,000 annually. Actual compensation within this range may vary based on the candidate’s skills, educational background, professional experience, and unique qualifications for the role.