Senior Applications Engineer, Quantum

Liquid Instruments; California; On-site; USD 155,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Liquid Instruments seeks a strategic Quantum Market Lead to guide expansion into quantum sensing, metrology, and networking. You will define segments, shape messaging, and own the technical go-to-market for new quantum products, aligning with Product, Marketing, Sales, and R&D.

You will write application notes and benchmark data, engage researchers, and travel 10–20% to showcase capabilities and win opportunities with evidence-based strategies.

Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, AMO, Quantum Optics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field strongly preferred; MS with equivalent hands-on research experience considered
• 8+ years of combined research and commercial experience in product marketing, product management, applications engineering, or customer-facing technical roles
• Direct hands-on experience in atom interferometry, optical or atomic clocks, NV‑center or Rydberg sensing, frequency combs, laser frequency stabilization, quantum networking, or precision timing and frequency transfer
• Fluency with the instruments this work depends on: lock-in amplifiers, PID and laser lock controllers, phasemeters, spectrum analyzers, arbitrary waveform generators, and FPGA‑based control
• Experience supporting market sizing and competitive analysis
• Understanding of competitors in this market, including Zurich Instruments, Toptica, Vescent, Stanford Research Systems, and in-house FPGA solutions
• Track record of bringing a technical product into a research market from strategy through execution

Responsibilities

• Define market strategy and segmentation for quantum segments and applications across sensing, metrology, timing, networking, and laser-oriented quantum research
• Support Product Management in sizing the dollar opportunity in each segment and map national labs, universities, defense research teams, and quantum startups to guide investment
• Provide competitive analysis to guide messaging and deal-level guidance on where Moku wins
• Own vertical and product-level messaging for quantum, ensuring consistency with Marketing and Sales
• Create technical proof through application notes, white papers, and benchmark data on PDH/cavity locking, laser linewidth, and phase noise
• Lead launch and go-to-market for new quantum products, from positioning to sales enablement
• Develop training content, battlecards, and demos for Sales and channel partners
• Influence roadmap with evidence from quantum customers and set instrument capabilities and software features priorities
• Engage with quantum researchers in labs, run measurements, give demos, present at events, travel 10–20%

Skills

Lock-in amplifiers

PID and laser lock controllers

Phasemeters

Spectrum analyzers

Arbitrary waveform generators

FPGA-based control

Education

PhD in Physics/AMO/Quantum Optics or Electrical Engineering

MS with equivalent hands-on research experience

Tools

Lock-in amplifiers

PID controllers

Laser lock controllers

Phasemeters

Spectrum analyzers

Arbitrary waveform generators

FPGA-based control

Job description

Liquid Instruments builds test and measurement tools for engineers and scientists who need precise, flexible instruments. Our founders are scientists from the Australian National University and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Our work in high-speed digital signal processing and ultra-sensitive instruments began with technology built to measure gravitational waves.

Our main product line, Moku, is a reconfigurable and reprogrammable, FPGA-based test and measurement platform. It handles both simple measurements and complex setups that use many instruments at once, and it is fast and straightforward to customize. Moku pairs capable hardware with easy-to-use software to balance flexibility, performance, and cost.

Liquid Instruments is headquartered in Canberra, Australia, with a U.S. office in Del Mar (San Diego), California.

Why this role exists

Our instruments come from precision optical and laser-based measurement. That includes phase measurement, laser stabilization, and ultra-low-noise feedback control, all developed for gravitational-wave detection. The same methods apply directly to the parts of quantum built on lasers and precision timing.

We focus on six areas: atom interferometry and inertial sensing; optical and atomic clocks; NV-center and Rydberg sensing; frequency combs and optical frequency transfer; laser frequency stabilization and cavity locking; and entanglement distribution and quantum networking.

Moku combines the instruments these labs depend on into a single software-defined unit: lock-in amplifiers, PID and laser lock controllers, phasemeters, and waveform generators. It reconfigures in software as experiments change.

Moku is already established in precision optics and photonics labs worldwide. This role leads our expansion into quantum sensing, metrology, and networking. You'll set the segments we prioritize, the applications we lead with, and how we win them.

You'll be our technical authority on quantum. You'll define where we compete. Sales will bring you into hard calls, and R&D will ask you what the market needs. You'll write the technical work that earns Liquid Instruments' credibility with researchers.

Your work will include

Market strategy and segmentation. You'll define the quantum segments and applications where Liquid Instruments leads, across sensing, metrology, timing, networking, and laser-oriented quantum research. You'll support Product Management in sizing the dollar opportunity in each segment so we invest where the return is greatest. You'll map how national labs, university groups, defense research teams, and venture-backed quantum startups buy. You'll bring leadership a clear recommendation backed by evidence.

Competitive analysis. You'll support Product Management in tracking competitors' products, pricing, positioning, and roadmaps. You'll turn that analysis into deal-level guidance on where Moku wins and into sharper messaging, treating what competitors build as a signal of what customers are asking for.

Messaging. You'll own vertical and product-level messaging for quantum, built on our existing company messaging framework. You'll validate it with working researchers and make sure Marketing and Sales use it consistently.

Technical proof. You'll write application notes, white papers, and benchmark data that establish Liquid Instruments in quantum labs. Topics include PDH and cavity locking, laser linewidth and phase noise characterization, feedback loop performance, multi-channel phase measurement, and time and frequency analysis.

Launch and go-to-market. You'll own the technical go-to-market for new quantum products, from positioning to sales enablement to launch content.

Sales enablement. You'll build the training content, competitive battlecards, and demos for our Sales team, application engineers, and channel partners. The goal is for them to lead a credible conversation with a quantum research team. You'll support strategic opportunities hand in hand with Sales.

Influence on the roadmap. You'll bring organized evidence from quantum customers to Product Management and R&D. You'll make the case for the instrument capabilities, performance specs, and software features this market needs.

Technical presence. You'll work with quantum research teams in their labs to run measurements, give demos, and lead technical sessions. You'll represent Liquid Instruments at key events and publish and present as part of the role. Expect about 10-20% travel.

You’ll work closely with the Content, Field Marketing, and Design teams. They own the blog calendar, social channels, website production, and event logistics.

What success looks like

Within the first 6-12 months:

• You've delivered a quantum segmentation and priority strategy, informed by opportunity sizing developed with Product Management, that Marketing, Sales, and Product use to guide investment
• Sales uses the competitive insight you've developed with Product Management to position Moku in active deals
• Vertical and product messaging is tested with working researchers, distinct from competitors, and in use across Marketing and Sales
• You've published at least four application notes, white papers, case studies, or benchmark studies. Quantum researchers find them on their own, and Sales cites them
• Sales teams run your demos and handle quantum conversations without you on the call
• You've used evidence from this market to directly shape product or roadmap priorities
• You've owned the technical go-to-market for at least one product launch
• You're the go-to authority on quantum inside the company, and you're increasingly visible in the research community

Requirements

• PhD in Physics, AMO, Quantum Optics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field strongly preferred; MS with equivalent hands‑on research experience considered
• 8+ years of combined research and commercial experience, including time in product marketing, product management, applications engineering, application science, or another customer‑facing technical role
• Direct hands‑on experience in one or more of: atom interferometry, optical or atomic clocks, NV‑center or Rydberg sensing, frequency combs, laser frequency stabilization, quantum networking, or precision timing and frequency transfer
• Fluency with the instruments this work depends on: lock-in amplifiers, PID and laser lock controllers, phasemeters, spectrum analyzers, arbitrary waveform generators, and FPGA‑based control
• Experience supporting market sizing and competitive analysis
• Understanding of competitors in this market, including Zurich Instruments, Toptica, Vescent, Stanford Research Systems, and in‑house FPGA solutions
• A track record of bringing a technical product into a research market, from strategy through execution
• Able to lead work across teams without formal authority
• Comfortable with ambiguity and fast‑moving work
• Travel for industry events and customer engagements (10-20%)

Base Compensation: $155,000 - $170,000, depending on experience