Quantum Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow

Berkeley Lab; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 77,271 - 89,570; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Exceptional health and retirement benefits

Tuition Assistance Program

Parental bonding leave

Pet insurance

Job summary

Berkeley Lab is seeking a Quantum Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Quantum Information Science and Technology Group. You will focus on materials and circuit electric field engineering for superconducting qubits, working with state-of-the-art fabrication facilities and conducting advanced experiments.

This is a full-time, 2-year appointment requiring a Ph.D. in Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Material Science, or a related field, and prior experience in cleanroom processes is preferred. Exceptional health and retirement benefits will be provided, along with unique career development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in relevant field with less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience.
• Hands-on experience with cleanroom/nanofabrication processes.
• Ability to mentor graduate students effectively.

Responsibilities

• Perform electromagnetic simulation of qubit circuits.
• Develop cleanroom metrology for superconducting qubit devices.
• Fabricate multilayer quantum processor developed at Berkeley Lab.

Skills

Electromagnetic simulation

Cleanroom metrology

Fabrication processes

Solid-state quantum computing

Microwave circuit design

Device performance characterization

Education

Ph.D. in Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, or Material Science

Tools

Microwave devices

Surface metrology tools

Nanofabrication equipment

Job description

Berkeley Lab’s Applied Mathematics Computational Research Division (AMCR) has an immediate opening in the Quantum Information Science and Technology Group (QuIST) for a Quantum Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow under the programs of Advanced Quantum Testbed (AQT) and Quantum System Accelerator (QSA). The primary goal of the position will focus on materials and circuit electric field engineering to understand the material-performance causality of superconducting qubits, including the optimization of electromagnetic design and development of new metrology and fabrication techniques. The position will have access to the state‑of‑the‑art superconducting circuit fabrication facility, quantum measurement lab, and advanced material characterization tools at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The position will also be on the team for development and fabrication of multiqubit, multilayer quantum processor unit (QPU), where the candidate will work with all teams at Berkeley Lab to build up full‑stack superconducting QPU for scientific research.

You Will

• Perform electromagnetic simulation of qubit circuits with novel designs to achieve high‑coherence qubits.
• Develop cleanroom metrology for superconducting qubit devices, especially CMOS in‑line metrology, in the lab as well as in collaboration with industrial partners.
• Develop and optimize fabrication processes to improve device materials and characterize the performance of superconducting qubit devices.
• Fabricate multiqubit, multilayer quantum processors developed at Berkeley Lab.
• Present and publish experimental results in internal and external meetings and journals.
• Support and lead collaborative projects with quantum‑computing industrial partners.

Desired Duties

• Mentor graduate students.
• Support or lead writing, including program reports, grants, and papers.

We Are Looking For

• Ph.D. degree in Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Material Science, or a related field.
• Experience in cleanroom/nanofabrication processes, with emphasis on hands‑on experience and knowledge of cleanroom metrology for device performance/yield characterization.
• Experience in one or more of the responsibilities/research areas in the following:
  • Solid‑state quantum computing platform, including but not limited to superconducting qubits, spin qubits, semiconductor nanowire/topological qubits, rare‑earth qubits, nanophotonics.
  • Microwave circuit design and simulation (e.g. EM solvers, network analysis).
  • Complex structure device fabrication, including CMOS multilayer devices, flip‑chip devices, microwave airbridges, and/or RF circuit devices.
• Relevant publication record and demonstration of proficient written and verbal presentation of scientific results.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative environment.
• Ability to mentor and direct the work of students.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to collaborators’ sites and conferences.

Desired Skills/Knowledge

• Experience in superconducting qubit design, fabrication, and measurement, especially in surface‑participation simulation and material loss tangent.
• Familiarity with material–device causality, i.e., connecting film microstructure and surface chemistry to device physics and performance.
• Experience with surface treatment and surface metrology/measurement.

Additional Information

• Application date: Candidate consideration will start on June 15, 2026, but applications will be accepted until the job posting is removed on a rolling basis.
• Appointment type: Full‑time, 2‑year postdoctoral appointment with possible renewal based on performance, funding, and operational needs. Must have less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience. Salary based on post‑degree experience.
• Salary range: $6,924–$8,026, starting at $6,924 or above. Paid on a step schedule per union contract, each step represents a full year of completed post‑Ph.D. experience.
• Background check: Position subject to background check. Convictions evaluated for relevance; conviction history does not automatically disqualify applicants.
• Work modality: On‑site, hybrid, or full‑time telework. Primary location: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. Must perform work within the United States. REAL ID or other acceptable ID required to access Berkeley Lab sites.
• Union represented: Position represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes.

Why join Berkeley Lab?

• Exceptional health and retirement benefits, including pension or 401(k)‑style plans.
• Opportunities to grow in your career — check out our Tuition Assistance Program.
• A culture where you’ll belong; we are invested in our teams.
• In addition to accruing vacation and sick time, we also have a Winter Holiday Shutdown every year.
• Parental bonding leave (for both mothers and fathers).
• Pet insurance.

We’re here for the same mission, to bring science solutions to the world. Join our team and you will play a supporting role in our goal to address global challenges! Have a high level of impact and work for an organization associated with 17 Nobel Prizes!

Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab’s mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.