Senior Applications Lead - Defense

black.ai; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 164,000 - 192,000; Full time

Job summary

PsiQuantum in Washington, D.C. is seeking a Senior Applications Lead, Defense, to shape and advance defense and national security applications strategy within the Industry Applications team.

You will partner with Business Development, Applications, Algorithms, and Software to translate defense needs into credible quantum computing opportunities, with a background in defense tech and ability to develop fluency in quantum computing. Ideal candidate has U.S.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in U.S. defense, national security, or aerospace contexts.
• Ability to obtain and maintain U.S. Government security clearance; TS/SCI preferred.
• Ph.D. in physics, engineering, applied mathematics, chemistry, or materials science.
• Strong communication and technical storytelling abilities.
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior applications lead for defense and national security efforts.
• Collaborate with Business Development on customer engagement and proposals.
• Engage with senior officials, defense primes, and national laboratories.
• Translate priorities into application opportunities with case for quantum advantage.
• Develop customer-facing narratives, briefings, and white papers.
• Work with cross-functional teams to assess feasibility and define scope.
• Act as project owner for selected engagements with milestones and deliverables.
• Help define PsiQuantum’s broader defense strategy and go-to-market approach.

Skills

Security clearance eligibility

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in physics/engineering/related field

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 in any other way. The potential is enormous, and we have a clear path to make it real.

Come join us.

Job Summary

As the Senior Applications Lead, Defense, you will help define and advance PsiQuantum’s defense and national security applications strategy. Sitting in the Industry Applications team, you will partner closely with Business Development, Applications, Algorithms, Software, and other technical teams to translate defense and national security needs into credible quantum computing opportunities.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in the U.S. defense, national security, intelligence, aerospace, or adjacent government technology ecosystem, combined with strong scientific judgment and the ability to develop fluency in quantum computing. This role is expected to be U.S.-based, ideally in the Washington, D.C. area.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior applications lead for PsiQuantum’s defense and national security efforts, identifying and shaping high‑value use cases for fault‑tolerant quantum computing.
• Partner closely with Business Development on customer engagement, strategic account development, conference participation, proposal shaping, and senior stakeholder conversations.
• Engage credibly with senior officials, defense primes, national laboratories, FFRDCs, service research organizations, and other strategic partners.
• Translate defense and national security priorities into application opportunities, including mission relevance, technical feasibility, potential quantum advantage, adoption pathway, and strategic value.
• Develop customer‑facing narratives, briefings, white papers, proposals, and other materials that connect PsiQuantum’s roadmap to defense‑relevant challenges.
• Work with Applications, Algorithms, and Software teams to assess feasibility, define project scope, identify risks, and develop paths toward customer‑facing work.
• Act as a project owner for selected defense and national security engagements, including project charters, milestones, deliverables, stakeholder alignment, and communication.
• Help define PsiQuantum’s broader defense applications strategy, including priority use cases, target customers, partner strategy, funding opportunities, and go‑to‑market approach.

Experience/Qualifications

• Significant experience in the U.S. defense industry, national security, intelligence, aerospace, or adjacent government technology ecosystem.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance required; active clearance (TS/SCI) preferred.
• Ph.D. required in physics, engineering, applied mathematics, chemistry, materials science, or a related technical field.
• Familiarity with quantum computing, quantum algorithms, high-performance computing, AI, semiconductors, or other technologies preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing briefings, proposals, white papers, conference materials, or customer‑facing technical content.
• Self‑starter with strong cross‑functional collaboration skills and the ability to thrive in a fast‐paced environment with high ambiguity and evolving priorities.

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.

Washington, D.C. Pay Range: $164,000 – $192,000 USD