Staff Test Software Engineer, Photonics

black.ai; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 236,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k) with company match

Equity grants

Wellness benefits

Family support programs

Life and disability insurance

Paid leave

Company holidays

Discretionary time off

End-of-year shutdown

Job summary

PsiQuantum is expanding a team that builds a photonic quantum computer. The Staff Test Software Engineer will own software that automates testing, calibration, and data acquisition across electro-optical test stations, including sequencing, measurement, and instrument-control code.

The role emphasizes strong Python skills, asynchronous programming, and instrument-control experience, with collaboration across hardware and software teams in a pioneering quantum hardware context.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong Python skills, including asynchronous programming.
• Hands-on experience building automated test/measurement software with instrument control (SCPI/VISA/GPIB).
• Working knowledge of electrical, optical, or electro-optical measurement concepts.
• Experience debugging distributed or fleet-scale systems.
• Comfortable working at the boundary between software and hardware.
• Experience with photonics, quantum hardware, or semiconductor/wafer-level test.
• Familiarity with test data platforms and pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Own and extend the test-sequencing software (measurement methods, sequencer logic, instrument drivers) used across the electro-optical test fleet, from prototype through production scale.
• Design and implement automated measurement methods for electrical, optical, and electro-optical characterization across multi-instrument control chains.
• Build and maintain instrument control layers (SCPI/VISA-based drivers) for lab and production instrumentation.
• Diagnose and fix fleet-wide test-sequencing issues throughput regressions, alignment/movement bugs, timing anomalies from logs, dashboards, and measurement data.
• Design failure handling so real hardware/measurement failures surface clearly instead of shipping bad data silently.
• Partner with the hardware test automation team to translate new test station designs into automated test and calibration procedures.

Skills

Python

Asynchronous programming

Instrument control

Distributed systems debugging

Software-hardware boundary

Photonics/quantum hardware familiarity

Education

B.S. in EE

B.S. in CS

Tools

SCPI/VISA

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

Come join us.

Job Summary:

As an integral part of the team developing a photonic quantum computer, the Staff Test Software Engineer will own the software that drives automated testing, calibration, and data acquisition across our fleet of electro-optical test stations including the sequencing, measurement, and instrument-control code that runs on the test stations built by our hardware test automation team.

Responsibilities:

• Own and extend the test-sequencing software (measurement methods, sequencer logic, instrument drivers) used across the electro-optical test fleet, from prototype through production scale.
• Design and implement automated measurement methods for electrical, optical, and electro-optical characterization (e.g. spectrum sweeps, IV sweeps, automated optical alignment) across multi-instrument control chains.
• Build and maintain instrument control layers (SCPI/VISA-based drivers) for lab and production instrumentation.
• Diagnose and fix fleet-wide test-sequencing issues throughput regressions, alignment/movement bugs, timing anomalies from logs, dashboards, and measurement data.
• Design failure handling so real hardware/measurement failures surface clearly instead of shipping bad data silently.
• Partner with the hardware test automation team to translate new test station designs into automated test and calibration procedures.

Experience/Qualifications:

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience (MS with 6+ years, or PhD with 3+ years).
• Strong Python skills, including asynchronous programming.
• Hands-on experience building automated test/measurement software with instrument control (SCPI/VISA/GPIB).
• Working knowledge of electrical, optical, or electro-optical measurement concepts.
• Experience debugging distributed or fleet-scale systems.
• Comfortable working at the boundary between software and hardware.
• Experience with photonics, quantum hardware, or semiconductor/wafer-level test.
• Familiarity with test data platforms and pipelines

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.

Actual compensation may vary outside of these ranges and is dependent on various factors including, 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.

• Zone 1 - Bay Area and NYC
• Zone 2 - Examples include Los Angeles and Washington DC
• Zone 3 - Examples include Austin, Chicago, and Sacramento
• Zone 4 - Examples include Nashville and Phoenix/Tempe and many remote locations

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 $235,600 — $276,800 USD

Zone 2 $212,000 — $249,100 USD

Zone 3 $188,400 — $221,400 USD

Zone 4 $164,900 — $193,800 USD