Optical characterization engineer

Quandela; Palaiseau; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Profit-sharing

Health coverage

Transport reimbursement

Meal vouchers

Childcare support

Job summary

Quandela is seeking an Optical Test and Automation Engineer to strengthen our team responsible for the characterization and benchmarking of single-photon sources. You will develop, validate, and maintain instrument-control, data-acquisition, and automated measurement procedures to transform optical characterization into robust, repeatable processes.

The role focuses on optical spectroscopy and measurement of quantum dot emitters in microcavities, plus developing automated test routines.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in optics, photonics, quantum optics, experimental physics, or a related field.
• 2 years of professional experience after Master’s degree or 2 years after PhD preferred.
• Hands-on experience with optical systems, lasers, and optical fibers.
• Strong Python skills for test and automation and data processing.
• Ability to analyze experimental data quickly and clearly.
• Good communication and reporting skills.
• Fluent English, both written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Perform optical characterization and quality control of single-photon sources.
• Operate and maintain optical setups including mode-locked lasers, fibers, cryogenic and vacuum components.
• Develop and maintain Python software for instrument control and data processing.
• Automate and validate measurement procedures to improve reliability and throughput.
• Identify sources of measurement variability and contribute to process improvements.
• Analyze data and produce systematic reports for internal teams.

Skills

Optical systems

Lasers

Optical fibers

Python

Data analysis

Communication

Reporting

English

Education

Master's degree or PhD in optics, photonics, quantum optics, experimental physics, or related field

Tools

Python

Job description

Quandela stands as a global leader in quantum computing, driven by groundbreaking technology and a strategic vision for scaling quantum solutions. The company's unique ability to offer both hardware and software solutions, along with its commitment to build energy efficient quantum processing units that scale, positions it to play a key role in the next wave of innovation, and in many strategic and sovereign industrial sectors.

With a team of more than 140 people, we develop our own hardware and software stack, from semiconductor quantum emitters and photonic processors to quantum control systems and quantum algorithms.

Our ambition is to build large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of solving problems beyond the reach of classical computation using Quandela's cutting-edge quantum dot technology.

Achieving this vision requires not only advances in photonic quantum computing, but also the development of scalable spin-photon interfaces, distributed entanglement capabilities and future SPOQC (Spin-Optical Quantum Computing) architectures that will enable modular and fault-tolerant quantum systems.

About this position:

Role overview:

We are looking for an Optical Test and Automation Engineer to strengthen our team responsible for the characterization and benchmarking of single-photon sources.

This role combines hands-on optical quality control of quantum emitters with the continuous improvement and automation of characterization processes. You will develop, validate, and maintain instrument-control, data-acquisition, and automated measurement procedures, helping to transform optical characterization into robust, repeatable, and scalable quality-control processes.

The position has a strong focus on optical spectroscopy, measurement of the quantum properties of semiconductor quantum dots embedded in microcavities, as well as development and optimization of automated test and measurement routines.

You will work in a cleanroom environment alongside optical, nanofabrication, and production engineers to industrialize our optical characterization processes while maintaining high measurement quality, reliability, and throughput.

Key responsibilities

• Perform optical characterization and quality control of single-photon sources
• Operate and maintain optical setups involving mode-locked lasers, optical fibers, cryogenic systems, and vacuum components
• Develop and maintain Python software for instrument control, data acquisition, and data processing
• Develop, automate, and validate measurement procedures to improve process reliability, reproducibility, and throughput
• Identify sources of measurement variability and contribute to continuous improvement of characterization processes
• Analyze data and produce systematic reports for internal teams

Requirements

Required

• Master's degree or PhD in optics, photonics, quantum optics, experimental physics, or a related field

• Ideally, between 2 years of professional experience after a Master's degree and 2 years of experience after a PhD
• Hands‑on experience with optical systems, lasers, and optical fibers
• Good knowledge of Python, especially for test and automation environment and data processing
• Ability to analyze experimental data quickly and clearly
• Good communication and reporting skills
• Fluent English, both written and spoken

Nice to have

• Experience with quantum dot spectroscopy or single-photon source characterization
• Experience with software development in a professional environment or for open source projects
• Experience with cryogenic setups and vacuum components

Benefits

• Competitive salary, flexible based on your experience
• Profit‑sharing & company savings plan
• 100% health coverage (Alan)
• 50% transport reimbursement or sustainable mobility bonus
• Meal vouchers (Swile), Gymlib fitness support
• Childcare assistance & referral bonuses (€1,000-€2,000)

What we offer:

• A meaningful role with real ownership, from day one
• A team eager to collaborate and grow with you
• Daily exposure to the entire quantum stack — from high-level APIs to low-level firmware, and everything in between.

Process

• Talent Acquisition Interview (30' - 45')
• Hiring Manager Interview (45')
• Use Case / Practical Assessment : The use case will consist of a simple practical exercise focused on the alignment of an optical bench. The assessment will take place in the cleanroom, they are not considered PPE for this exercise
• Meeting with the teams
• 2 reference check
• Offer

(This process is provided for guidance only and may evolve depending on the roles)

At Quandela, we believe that the strength of our team is the plurality of experiences, perspectives, and journeys. We are committed to building a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment. All applications are welcome.