Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Photonics Manufacturing & NPI

PSI Quantum; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 149,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k) with company match

Equity grants

Wellness programs

Paid leave

Job summary

PsiQuantum in Milpitas, CA, is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Owner to transition advanced photonic hardware from R&D into pilot manufacturing, production, and high-volume manufacturing.

You will collaborate with Process, Design, Test Validation, Supply Chain, and Operations to develop scalable manufacturing processes for hardware including PICs, precision fiber optic assemblies, electro-optical systems, and cryogenic components used in PsiQuantum's platform.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related engineering field.
• 8+ years in manufacturing engineering for photonic/semiconductor/high-reliability products.
• Experience transitioning R&D to NPI and production.
• Hands-on fiber optic processes including stripping, cleaving, splicing, and inspection.
• Experience with cleanroom manufacturing.
• Experience with PFMEAs, Control Plans, SPC, validation, and DFM/DFA.
• Experience preparing processes for CM transfer.
• Excellent project management and cross-functional communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing process development for PIC-based photonic hardware through scale-up.
• Lead during New Product Introduction (NPI), bridging research prototypes into production-ready processes.
• Develop scalable methods for higher volumes while maintaining quality.
• Collaborate with Process Engineering and Design Engineering using DFM/DFA principles.
• Develop manufacturing methods for PIC-based hardware.
• Own precision fiber optic manufacturing processes including stripping, cleaving, fusion splicing, handling, routing, connectorization, inspection, and strain relief.
• Develop manufacturing processes for optical packaging, alignment, integration, and final assembly.
• Support cleanroom manufacturing and cryogenic hardware assembly.
• Design tooling, fixtures, workstations, and specialized assembly equipment.
• Establish and maintain workstations, calibration, equipment maintenance, and preventive maintenance schedules.
• Drive 5S and visual management initiatives.
• Develop manufacturing documentation including work instructions, process flows, travelers, tooling documentation, and training materials.
• Support production through troubleshooting, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and engineering changes.
• Drive Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) focused on yield, throughput, quality, cycle time, ergonomics, and cost.
• Develop process controls, inspection methods, acceptance criteria, PFMEAs, Control Plans, SPC, DOE, MSA, and process validation.
• Lead manufacturing readiness activities and support Manufacturing Readiness Reviews (MRRs) and Production Transfer Gate Reviews.
• Prepare mature manufacturing processes to CM partners.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional communication

Lean Manufacturing

5S

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Industrial/Electrical/Physics or related

Tools

Fiber stripping

Fusion splicing

Optical alignment

Automation equipment

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 architectureand approachisbased on silicon photonics. Byleveragingthe 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: photonsdon'tfeel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure.

That approach has since been tested at the highest level of scrutiny the U.S. government applies to emerging technology, and it has held up. In 2025,PsiQuantumclosed a$1 billionfunding round that valued the company at$7 billion. In 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce signed a $100 million Letter of Intent under the CHIPS and Science Act, followed by a $125 million agreement with DARPA under Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative,PsiQuantum'smost valuable U.S. government agreement to date. This year, we also broke ground on our utility-scale quantum computer in Brisbane, Australia, and continued building out our Chicago site. Victor Peng, our CEO, and co-founder Jeremy O'Brien, now ExecutiveChairman, lead a team and board that reflects how seriously the world is taking this build, joined this year by Intel's Lip-Bu Tan and Atomico's NiklasZennstrom.

PsiQuantumalso 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, includingAirbus,LockheedMartin, Mercedes-Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mitsubishi Chemical, to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact.

Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. Itrepresentsa fundamental shift, and a path to mastering challenges that cannot besolvedany other way. The potential is enormous, and we now havethe funding,the governmentvalidation, andthe sitesunder construction to make it real.

Job Summary

This role serves as the manufacturing engineering owner responsible for transitioning advanced photonic hardware from Research & Development into pilot manufacturing, production, and eventual high-volume manufacturing.

Working closely with Process Engineering, Design Engineering, Test Validation Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations, you will develop scalable manufacturing processes for hardware and subassemblies incorporating photonic integrated circuits (PICs), precision fiber optic assemblies, electro-optical systems, and cryogenic hardware supporting PsiQuantum's quantum computing platform.

This position requires extensive hands‑on experience with precision optical assembly, fiber optic manufacturing, cleanroom operations, and New Product Introduction (NPI), while establishing manufacturing processes that meet quality, reliability, throughput, and cost objectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing process development for PIC-based photonic hardware, fiber optic assemblies, electro-optical hardware, and precision opto-mechanical systems from R&D through pilot production and manufacturing scale-up.
• Serve as the Manufacturing Engineering lead during New Product Introduction (NPI), bridging research prototypes into robust, production-ready manufacturing processes.
• Develop scalable manufacturing methods supporting increased production volumes while maintaining quality, reliability, and optical performance.
• Collaborate with Process Engineering and Design Engineering using DFM/DFA principles.
• Develop and optimize manufacturing processes for precision photonic hardware incorporating PICs.
• Own precision fiber optic manufacturing processes including fiber stripping, cleaving, fusion splicing, handling, routing, connectorization, inspection, and strain relief.
• Develop manufacturing processes for optical packaging, precision optical alignment, electro-optical integration, and final assembly.
• Support cleanroom manufacturing and assembly/integration of cryogenic hardware.
• Design, qualify, and optimize tooling, fixtures, workstations, and specialized assembly equipment.
• Establish and maintain workstations, calibration, equipment maintenance, and preventive maintenance schedules.
• Drive 5S and visual management initiatives.
• Develop manufacturing documentation including work instructions, process flows, travelers, tooling documentation, and training materials.
• Support production through troubleshooting, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and engineering changes.
• Drive Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) focused on yield, throughput, quality, cycle time, ergonomics, and cost.
• Develop process controls, inspection methods, acceptance criteria, PFMEAs, Control Plans, SPC, DOE, MSA, and process validation.
• Lead manufacturing readiness activities and support Manufacturing Readiness Reviews (MRRs) and Production Transfer Gate Reviews.
• Prepare and transfer mature manufacturing processes to Contract Manufacturing (CM) partners.

Experience / Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of manufacturing engineering experience supporting complex photonic, semiconductor, optical, precision electromechanical, or other high-reliability products.
• Demonstrated success transitioning products from R&D through NPI, pilot production, manufacturing ramp, and sustained production.
• Hands‑on experience with fiber stripping, precision cleaving, fusion splicing, fiber routing, handling, inspection, and connectorization.
• Experience supporting manufacturing of photonic hardware; experience with PIC‑based assemblies is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting cleanroom manufacturing operations.
• Experience driving production support, process maturity, yield improvement, and CPI.
• Experience developing manufacturing documentation, PFMEAs, Control Plans, SPC, process validation, and DFM/DFA.
• Experience preparing manufacturing processes for CM transfer.
• Excellent project management and cross‑functional communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with silicon photonics, quantum technologies, optical communications, semiconductor manufacturing, or precision optical instrumentation.
• Experience with PIC-based hardware, optical packaging, fiber attach, active optical alignment, or electro‑optical assembly.
• Experience with automated optical inspection, production test equipment, or manufacturing automation.
• Experience supporting cryogenic and/or vacuum hardware.
• Experience with Manufacturing Readiness Reviews (MRRs), Production Transfer Gate Reviews, or similar phase‑gate processes.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and visual management.
• Experience managing manufacturing equipment qualification, calibration, and preventive maintenance.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100, CAPA, engineering change management, document control, and risk management.
• Experience working with Contract Manufacturers.

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].

We are not accepting unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.

Base pay is one part of the total compensation package. Full-time roles are eligible for equity and benefits. Our compensation ranges reflect the cost of labor across multiple U.S. geographic markets, and we pay based on defined geographic zones. This position may be filled within one of the following U.S. geographic zones, each with its own salary range.

• Zone 1- Bay Area and NYC
• Zone 2-Examples include LosAngelesandWashington DC
• Zone 3-Examples include Austin, Chicago,and Sacramento
• Zone 4-Examples include Nashville and Phoenix/Tempe and manyremote locations

Actual compensation may vary outside of these ranges and is dependent onvarious factorsincluding, but not limited to, a candidate's qualifications, relevant education and training, competencies, experience, geographic location, business needs, and internal equity. Your recruiter can share more details about the salary range applicable to your location during the hiring process.

This position includes the following benefits: competitive health coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) with company match, equity grants, access to financial wellness tools and planning resources, wellness benefits, family support programs, life and disability insurance, paid leave programs, company-designated paid holidays, discretionary time off (DTO), and an end‑of‑year company shutdown. Some of these benefits have eligibility requirements and may vary based on location, role, or employment status. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.

The estimated annual base salary range for this role is:

Zone 1 $149,400 — $175,600 USD

Zone 2 $134,500 — $158,000 USD

Zone 3 $119,600 — $140,500 USD

Zone 4 $104,600 — $122,900 USD