Senior Optical Engineer – Quantum Hardware & Optics Lead

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision for employees

Unlimited PTO

401(k) match

Equity package

Life and AD&D insurance

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Infleqtion is seeking a Senior Optical Engineer to independently design, implement, and validate complex optical subsystems for neutral-atom quantum computing platforms. This hands-on role collaborates with physicists and cross-disciplinary engineers to translate experimental requirements into robust optical designs.

You will lead laboratory efforts, perform precision alignment, develop high-fidelity Zemax models, and mentor developing engineers while transitioning research-grade optics toward

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in optical engineering, physics, or related field with 4+ years of relevant experience; advanced degrees preferred.
• Strong foundation in geometrical, Fourier, and physical optics; Gaussian beam propagation and imaging systems.
• Proficiency with Zemax OpticStudio for optical design, sequential modeling, aberration analysis, PSF/MTF.
• Proficiency in Python for Zemax automation and data analysis.
• Experience with SLMs, beam delivery, and multi-channel optical systems.

Responsibilities

• Designing, modeling, and validating optical and laser-based subsystems for neutral-atom quantum computing platforms.
• Integrating and testing scalable atom addressing and control technologies (DMDs, SLMs, AODs, EOMs, metasurface optics).
• Collaborating with physicists and engineers across disciplines to support full lifecycle development.
• Leading hands-on lab efforts: optical assembly, alignment, debugging, performance characterization.
• Developing and maintaining Zemax models with tolerance analysis and optimization.
• Executing transitions from research-grade to commercial-ready hardware.
• Providing guidance and informal mentorship through design reviews and coaching.
• Establishing and improving best practices for optical design workflows.

Skills

Optical design

Zemax OpticStudio

Python for Zemax

SolidWorks

Laser optics

Beam shaping

Gaussian beam

AOMs/AODs

SLMs

Git

Education

Bachelor's degree in optical engineering, physics, or related field

Master's degree or Ph.D. preferred

Tools

Zemax OpticStudio

SolidWorks

Git

Job description

Infleqtion is seeking a Senior Optical Engineer to independently design, implement, and validate complex optical subsystems for neutral-atom quantum computing platforms. This hands-on role collaborates with physicists and cross-disciplinary engineers to translate experimental requirements into robust optical designs.

You will lead laboratory efforts, perform precision alignment, develop high-fidelity Zemax models, and mentor developing engineers while transitioning research-grade optics toward