New

Senior Cryogenic System Engineer

Milpitas, California

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. 

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, PsiQuantum closed a $1 billion funding 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's most 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 Executive Chairman, 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 Niklas Zennström. 

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 Airbus, 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 now have the funding, the government validation, and the sites under construction to make it real. 

Job Summary:

The Senior Cryogenic System Engineer is responsible for the design, analysis, verification, validation, integration, and operational support of cryogenic systems that enable PsiQuantum's quantum computing infrastructure.

This role focuses on system integration of cryostats, cryogenic distribution systems, cryoplants, and related technologies, applying strong engineering judgment across thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and structural mechanics.

The role supports the full engineering lifecycle from requirements definition, detailed design, analysis, vendor coordination, fabrication, installation, integration, testing, commissioning, and troubleshooting. The Senior Cryogenic System Engineer also provides technical leadership in ambiguous situations and helps establish robust processes, documentation practices, and verification methods for complex cryogenic systems.

The ideal candidate combines strong cryogenic systems engineering expertise with practical mechanical design experience, analytical rigor, and hands-on execution. They are comfortable leading technical work across design, analysis, verification, vendor coordination, installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities:

  • Lead integration of cryostat components, including mechanical hardware, sensors, valves, and instrumentation.
  • Lead integration of cryogenic equipment, including cryostats, cryogenic distribution systems, vacuum systems, cryoplants, and cryogenic storage.
  • Apply thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and structural mechanics to develop cryogenic system designs.
  • Perform detailed design, analysis, and testing of cryogenic system components and assemblies.
  • Coordinate technical activities across multiple disciplines and provide hands-on guidance during fabrication, installation, integration, and operations.
  • Lead the development of verification and validation test plans for cryogenic mechanical systems and evaluate test results.
  • Select, support, and direct vendors during design, manufacturing, and testing.
  • Analyze field issues related to cryogenic design and provide technical solutions where required.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary project teams through all phases of product development to ensure successful execution of innovative, best-in-class designs.

Experience/Qualifications:

  • B.Sc., M.Sc., or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.
  • 3–5+ years of experience applying engineering principles to solve complex problems related to thermal-fluid systems and/or cryogenics.
  • Experience with cryogenic mechanical systems, including cryostats, cryogenic distribution systems, valve boxes, and/or cryoplants.
  • Experience with requirements management, materials and component selection, FMEA, tolerance analysis, and test planning.
  • Ability to provide technical leadership in ambiguous situations.
  • Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications 

  • Experience with software tools such as Mathcad, SINDA/FLUINT, Thermal Desktop, SINAPS, ANSYS APDL, ANSYS Workbench, SolidWorks, SpaceClaim, LabVIEW, and MATLAB.
  • Experience working with cryogenic systems, cryostats, cryocoolers, cryogenic distribution systems, vacuum pumps, and cryoplants.
  • Experience coordinating technical activities during construction, installation, or commissioning of large-scale scientific or industrial facilities.
  • Experience applying best practices to the design, fabrication, and assembly of cryogenic equipment.
  • Experience with material performance, design constraints, and manufacturing constraints under cryogenic conditions.
  • Hands-on experience with fabrication methods such as machining, welding, brazing, soldering, and forming.
  • Hands-on experience performing lab testing and data acquisition.
  • Understanding of Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing per ASME Y14.5.

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 recruiting@psiquantum.com.

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

$151,800 - $178,400 USD

Zone 2

$136,700 - $160,600 USD

Zone 3

$121,500 - $142,700 USD

Zone 4

$106,300 - $124,900 USD

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