Cryostat Equipment Engineer

black.ai; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

PsiQuantum is looking for a Cryostat Equipment Engineer in Milpitas, California. This role involves leading the installation, commissioning, and maintenance of advanced cryogenic systems essential for quantum computing hardware. Successful candidates will have a degree in a relevant field and hands-on experience with high-vacuum systems. The position offers a competitive salary range of $110,000 — $145,000 based on experience, along with a commitment to equal employment opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience installing, commissioning, and maintaining complex equipment in a lab or industrial setting.
• Familiarity with cryogenic systems such as dilution refrigerators or liquid helium systems.
• Experience working with instrumentation and ability to troubleshoot effectively.

Responsibilities

• Install and commission quantum computing cryostats, ensuring reliability.
• Operate and maintain high-vacuum systems, including leak detection.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure system reliability.

Skills

Hands-on experience with high-vacuum or ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) systems

Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills

Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, P&IDs, and electrical schematics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field

Tools

Cryogenic systems

Data acquisition systems

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

PsiQuantum is seeking a Cryostat Equipment Engineer to lead the installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance of advanced cryogenic systems supporting our quantum computing hardware. This role is critical to ensuring the reliable operation of large‑scale cryostats and associated vacuum and instrumentation systems in a cutting‑edge R&D and production environment.

Responsibilities

• Install and commission quantum computing cryostats, including integration with mechanical, electrical, and control subsystems.
• Operate and maintain high‑vacuum systems (UHV/HPV), including pumps, gauges, valves, and leak detection equipment.
• Develop and execute commissioning procedures, acceptance tests, and system validation protocols.
• Monitor cryostat performance, diagnose faults, and perform preventative and corrective maintenance.
• Interface with instrumentation systems (temperature sensors, pressure transducers, flow controllers, and data acquisition systems).
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams (quantum hardware, facilities, controls, and safety) to ensure system reliability and uptime.
• Maintain detailed documentation, including schematics, procedures, maintenance logs, and system modifications.
• Support continuous improvement efforts in system design, reliability, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards related to cryogens, vacuum systems, and high‑voltage equipment.

Experience / Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Hands‑on experience with high‑vacuum or ultra‑high‑vacuum (UHV) systems.
• Experience installing, commissioning, and maintaining complex equipment in a lab or industrial setting.
• Familiarity with cryogenic systems (e.g., dilution refrigerators, liquid helium systems, or closed‑cycle cryocoolers).
• Experience with instrumentation and data acquisition systems.
• Strong troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis skills.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, P&IDs, and electrical schematics.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with cryostats in quantum computing, superconducting systems, or low‑temperature physics environments.
• Knowledge of vacuum system design, leak detection (helium mass spectrometry), and materials compatibility.
• Familiarity with control systems (e.g., PLCs, LabVIEW, or similar platforms).
• Experience in a cleanroom or semiconductor environment.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field.

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 [e-mail].

U.S. Base Pay Range: $110,000—$120,000 USD.

Bay Area Pay Range: $128,000—$145,000 USD.