{"id":466776,"url":"https://alion.io/job/quera-computing-principal-optical-engineer","title":"Principal Optical Engineer","company":{"id":179594,"name":"QuEra Computing","domain":"quera.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/quera-computing","size_band":"11-50","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":77,"open_postings":72,"ghost_share":0.306,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":88,"computed_at":"2026-10-28T05:59:10Z"}},"role":"Semiconductors","role_family":"Semiconductors","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Boston, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":180000,"max":220000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":220000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"SolidWorks","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-07-21T20:05:40Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-01","last_verified_at":"2026-10-28T13:04:54Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":98,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":98},"description":"Principal Optical Engineer\nThe Hardware Engineering Group at QuEra Computing is seeking strong candidates for a Principal Optical Engineer to serve as a senior individual contributor to the company’s mission of building state-of-the-art, manufacturable, and deployable neutral atom quantum computers. The Hardware Engineering Group plays a crucial role in accelerating the company’s technology leadership and translating the company’s scientific breakthroughs into products delivered to customers. To accomplish this mission, we are looking to hire a candidate with graduate-level education in optics, optical engineering, or applied physics with industry experience in an enterprise engineering environment. The ideal candidate will combine a deep, fundamental understanding of several areas of optics, design, and engineering. Although candidates with a Ph.D. in physics may be considered, applicants should ensure they have sufficient professional experience beyond academia in an enterprise engineering environment to establish themselves independently as a Principal-level engineer.\nKey Job Responsibilities\nOptical module design and development\nWork with physicists to understand requirements and architect optical systems, sub-systems, modules, and components to support QuEra’s neutral atom computers through the full development lifecycle (R&D, productization, maintenance, and beyond).\nTechnically lead an interdisciplinary team of engineers (optical, electronic, mechanical, etc.) through the product development process to take an optical module from early phase concept through to implementation and production.\nAdvance state-of-the-art engineering practices at QuEra through independent research, problem-solving, and continuous improvement initiatives.\nCoordinate closely with the R&D/science team to enable cutting-edge R&D and translate scientific advances into the next generation of products.\nTroubleshoot technical issues at company headquarters and off-site installations at customer locations (in coordination with local support team).\nQualifications\nRequired:\nMaster's degree in optics, optical engineering, applied physics, or a closely related field.\n10-15 years non-academic work experience. Experience at an enterprise scale as well as startup preferred.\nDeep experience and knowledge of \nFree-space optics\nLens design\nFiber optics\nLasers\nOptical system characterization and testing\nOpto-mechanics\nExperience bringing complex optical systems from concept to production\nExpertise with using Mechanical CAD software (e.g. Inventor, Solidworks), Product Data Management (PDM) software, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software\nExpertise with Optical simulation software (e.g. Zemax)\nPreferred:\nExperience with quantum computing, especially neutral atom\nProfessional work experience in commercial product development and off-site product deployment at customer premises.\nThe approximate base salary range for this position is $180,000 - $220,000.\nWe consistently monitor external market data and update base salary ranges accordingly. We determine base compensation decisions on several factors, including as geographic placement, role-specific knowledge, skills, and/or experience. In addition to our base salary offerings, we also provide equity grants for all new hires.\nQuEra is committed to cultivating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We highly value diversity in our current and future employees and do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.","description_format":"text","description_chars":3744,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Quantum Science & Computing","Quantum Computing Hardware"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-06T12:19:24Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 10","filings_12m":10,"filings_prev_12m":8,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":177500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":35,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.786,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":98,"expected_fill_days":88,"reasons":["conf:2","velocity","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-10-28T05:59:10Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":220000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/quera-computing-principal-optical-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/quera-computing-principal-optical-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-28T16:10:33Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":21850,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-29T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":179594},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=179594"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fquera-computing-principal-optical-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fquera-computing-principal-optical-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fquera-computing-principal-optical-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/quera-computing-principal-optical-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fquera-computing-principal-optical-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":466776}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"quera.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":466776},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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