Senior Optical Engineer — Quantum Hardware & Beam Control

Infleqtion; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 155,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range: $155,000 to $185,000 per

100% company-paid medical, dental, and

Vision

Unlimited PTO

401(k) match

Company-paid Life and AD&D Insurance

Equity Package

Job summary

Infleqtion's Hardware Engineering team seeks a Senior Optical Engineer to independently design, implement, and validate optical subsystems for neutral-atom quantum computing platforms. This hands-on role collaborates with physicists and engineers to translate experimental requirements into robust optical designs.

You will lead lab work, optical alignment, and performance characterization, mentor junior engineers, and drive transitions from research configurations to scalable, commercial-ready

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 4+ years of relevant experience; MS/PhD preferred
• Strong foundation in geometrical, Fourier, and physical optics
• Proficiency with Zemax (OpticStudio) for optical system design
• Proficiency in Python for Zemax automation and data analysis
• Experience with lab instrumentation and optical components
• Experience designing laser-based optics for microscopy, lithography or quantum applications
• Experience with SLMs and beam shaping
• Experience with beam-delivery and imaging systems
• Hands-on experience with optical alignment and troubleshooting
• Experience using Git or similar version control for design artifacts

Responsibilities

• Designing, modeling, and validating optical subsystems for neutral-atom platforms
• Integrating and testing atom addressing and control technologies (DMDs, SLMs, AODs, EOMs)
• Collaborating with physicists and engineers across disciplines
• Leading hands-on laboratory efforts: alignment, debugging, performance characterization
• Developing high-fidelity optical models with Zemax and perform tolerance analyses
• Transitioning optical subsystems from research to scalable hardware
• Providing technical guidance and informal mentorship
• Establishing best practices for optical design workflows and documentation

Skills

Optical design

Troubleshooting

Experimental lab work

Mentoring

Python programming

Education

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering or Physics

Master's or Ph.D. preferred

Tools

Zemax (OpticStudio)

SolidWorks

Git

Python

Job description

Infleqtion's Hardware Engineering team seeks a Senior Optical Engineer to independently design, implement, and validate optical subsystems for neutral-atom quantum computing platforms. This hands-on role collaborates with physicists and engineers to translate experimental requirements into robust optical designs.

You will lead lab work, optical alignment, and performance characterization, mentor junior engineers, and drive transitions from research configurations to scalable, commercial-ready