R&D Technician at PsiQuantum in Palo Alto, CA

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:

PsiQuantum is building the world’s first commercially viable quantum computer powered by silicon photonics. Our Foundry Engineering team partners with leading semiconductor manufacturers and research partners to support advanced silicon-based photonic platforms that enable scalable quantum systems.

In this role, you will support day-to-day foundry operations, wafer logistics, wafer inspection, data upload, inventory tracking, documentation, and office/lab coordination activities. This position is hands-on and highly operational, requiring strong attention to detail, clear communication, and consistent follow-through across multiple systems, tools, and partner sites.

The ideal candidate will be organized, dependable, comfortable working with wafers and lab/office workflows, and able to support engineering teams by keeping wafer movement, documentation, inspection records, reports, and operational communications accurate and up to date. You will work closely with PsiQuantum engineers, operations teams, and other external partners to help ensure smooth execution of wafer processing and foundry-related activities.

Responsibilities:

• Support wafer handling activities, including FOSB mapping, wafer transfers, lot start documentation, and delivery of required documentation and materials to clean room.
• Maintain accurate wafers in process (WIP) reports, wafer/FOSB inventory records and related tracking updates.
• Update tool status and WIP reports twice per day and communicate key updates to the team.
• Attend operations morning meetings, take clear notes, and distribute relevant action items, status updates, and operational information to the team.
• Coordinate wafer and package logistics, including wafer shipments, shipping contacts, package pickup from Shipping & Receiving, and maintenance of shipping addresses, emails, and phone numbers.
• Support lab, office, and partner-site operations, including lab activities, SP3 data collection and other operational systems.
• Manage and operate a dedicated lab for wafer cryogenic testing including sample preparation, material acquisition, minor maintenance and remaining logistics needs.
• Inspect wafers using optical microscopy, capture wafer images, and upload images and related records to support the engineering team.
• Maintain an orderly office and shared work environment, including purchasing and restocking office supplies, lab supplies, snacks, and other recurring items for the regional offices.

Experience/Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate degree, technical certification, or relevant semiconductor, manufacturing, or laboratory experience preferred.
• Experience working in a semiconductor, cleanroom, laboratory, manufacturing, logistics, or technical operations environment required.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow documented procedures accurately.
• Comfortable handling wafers, wafer carriers, FOSBs, documentation packages, and related materials.
• Ability to use inspection tools, capture images, upload files, and maintain accurate digital records.
• Familiarity with wafer tracking systems, work request systems, inventory systems, or manufacturing execution systems is preferred.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple daily tasks, recurring reports, shipments, supplies, and documentation workflows.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to summarize meeting notes and share updates through Slack or similar communication platforms.
• Ability to work independently, escalate issues appropriately, and support engineers and operations teams in a fast-paced technical environment.
• Proficiency with basic computer tools such as Microsoft Office, spreadsheets, file upload systems, and web-based workflow tools.
• Dependable, hands-on, and proactive approach to maintaining operational readiness, inventory accuracy, and an orderly work environment.

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

$85,200—$100,100 USD

Zone 2

$76,700—$90,100 USD

Zone 3

$68,200—$80,100 USD

Zone 4

$59,700—$70,100 USD