Staff Quantum Physicist, Hardware Systems Lead

Infleqtion; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

HSA

Unlimited PTO

401(k) match

Life Insurance

Job summary

Infleqtion, Inc. in Chicago, IL, is seeking a Staff Quantum Physicist to lead the Hardware Systems team. You will guide technical development, manage personnel, and shape the lab's strategy as part of our Quantum Computing initiative.

You will build and mentor a high-performance team, set priorities, and collaborate across facilities and program management to deliver robust, scalable quantum hardware in a fast-paced startup environment.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated success leading technical teams and mentoring staff.
• Experience guiding complex hardware projects from objectives to results.
• Ability to build trust and manage cross-disciplinary teams.
• Strong planning, execution, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Chicago Quantum Systems Team and guide development.
• Ensure execution, employee development, and objective delivery.
• Collaborate with facilities and project management to enable success.
• Shape technical priorities and decision-making for hardware.

Skills

Team leadership

Program management

Quantum physics AMO

Communication

Education

PhD in physics or related field

Tools

Python

Linux

Experiment control tools

Job description

Staff Quantum Physicist, Hardware Systems Lead at Infleqtion, Chicago, Illinois, United States. A lead-level full time position in the Quantum Computing team, listed under business operations.

Help Infleqtion build the future of quantum in Illinois. We are on a mission to commercialize atom-based quantum technologies that deliver orders-of-magnitude improvements in sensing and computing applications. As a deep-tech startup, we embrace a results-driven, fast-paced, and customer-focused approach to innovation. We are deploying a neutral-atom quantum computer in Chicago and are seeking a leader to build, manage, and develop the team that will bring it to life. You will lead the hardware team’s technical execution and people's development. You will collaborate with our facilities and project management personnel to help the new team succeed at our new Chicago quantum hardware lab. Your primary responsibility will be to enable a talented team to succeed. You will set up technical priorities, shape and ratify high-impact technical decisions, coach and develop team members, and create an environment where physicists and engineers can do their best work. You will also partner with experts across Infleqtion to advance our neutral-atom quantum computing systems. We value demonstrated people leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to deliver through a team above any single technical specialization. A strong scientific or engineering foundation is essential, along with the curiosity and credibility to lead experts working on complex quantum systems. For candidates excited to make Chicago their next home, we are willing to provide relocation assistance for the right candidate.

Role and Responsibilities

This is a quantum hardware leadership and people-management role with technical oversight. You will be accountable for team performance, employee development, and execution at our new Chicago lab, while remaining close enough to the technical work to guide decisions and remove obstacles. Responsibilities may evolve as the effort grows, and the program needs to change. Lead the Chicago Quantum Systems Team, Guide Technical Development, and Deliver Results

Requirements

• Demonstrated success managing and developing technical teams, including direct responsibility for goal setting, performance feedback, coaching, and career growth.
• Experience leading complex experimental hardware projects from ambiguous objectives to measurable results.
• Ability to build trust, delegate effectively, address challenges constructively, and bring together people with different areas of expertise.
• Strong planning and execution skills, including prioritizing work, managing competing demands, and coordinating across disciplines.
• Clear communication with both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• A strong technical foundation in quantum physics, atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics or a related field, sufficient to guide technical discussions and evaluate tradeoffs.
• A PhD in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline, or equivalent professional experience; typically, five or more years of relevant post-PhD experience or comparable experience leading complex scientific or engineering systems.

Nice to Have

• Experience establishing a new laboratory, opening a technical office, or growing a research and development team.
• Experience with neutral-atom quantum computing, Rydberg physics, optical-tweezer arrays, quantum-gate characterization, or related processor architectures.
• Experience with coherent control of quantum systems, including ultracold atoms, trapped ions, or diamond NV centers.
• Familiarity with lasers, optical systems, RF instrumentation, ultra-high-vacuum systems, and the integration of complex experimental platforms.
• Familiarity with Python, Linux, and tools for experiment control, data analysis, calibration, and automation.
• Experience contributing to proposals, patents, technical roadmaps, customer discussions, or government-funded R&D.

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, short/long-term disability
• Employer-funded Health Savings Account
• Unlimited PTO
• 401(k) match
• Company-paid Life and AD&D Insurance
• Flexible Savings Account
• Paid FMLA, Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Student Loan Repayment
• Equity Program