Chief Ion Trap Wafer Fabrication Scientist

We are seeking a highly qualified Chief Ion Trap Wafer Fabrication Scientist in our Plymouth, MN location. In this role you will work closely with a team of physicists, engineers, and technicians, as well as with our foundry partners, to drive forward all aspects of fabrication for our next generation of ion traps and related components, and to develop new and improved methods for producing higher performing and higher quality traps.

This influential position will balance technical leadership, individual technical contribution, and external vendor partnership. A successful candidate will have a broad and deep understanding of wafer fabrication in both IC and MEMS environments, as well as a proven track record of advancing R&D efforts beyond the state of the art.

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

• The ability to lead and drive all stages of development of microfabricated ion traps, including new concept creation, design, layout, fabrication, packaging and characterization
• Contribute to strategic, long-range planning
• Work closely with an integrated team of scientists, engineers and technicians to translate system requirements and designs into functional hardware
• Engage with 3rd parties to cultivate possible key partnerships, supplier relationships, and co-development opportunities

• Bachelor’s degree minimum
• Minimum 12+ years' experience in one or more of the following areas:
  Ion trap design and fabrication, integrated optics of wave guides, and chip-scale photonics (PhD/Master’s inclusive)
• Due to U.S. export control laws, must be a U.S. citizen

• PhD in Physics or Engineering preferred
• Relevant work experience in a micro-fabrication process environment
• Experience with a wide range of semiconductor/MEMS processes and processing tools including layout, deep reactive ion etching, photolithography, e-beam lithography, thin film deposition and electroplating
• 10+ years’ experience working with external foundries strongly preferred
• Knowledge of on-chip silicon photonics, photonic modeling and fiber-to-chip coupling
• Experience with Finite Element Modeling (mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, optical and multi-physics) of MEMS-like structures
• Experience with 2.5/3D packaging
• Experience working in an R&D environment
• Published results within their field of research
• Patented results within their field of research
• Experience working within a cross-functional team environment

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. 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 when applicable

The pay range for this role is $180,000 – $230,000 annually. Actual compensation within this range may vary based on the candidate’s skills, educational background, professional experience, and unique qualifications for the role.