Manager, Cryogenics Process Control

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 Manager, Process Control Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, commissioning, and operation of the instrumentation, electrical, and control systems supporting PsiQuantum's cryogenic infrastructure, including cryoplants, cryostats, and cryogenic distribution systems. This role provides hands-on technical leadership while developing the controls architecture from the ground up. The successful candidate will develop PLC hardware and software, lead commissioning activities, and ensure reliable operation of the cryogenic control systems. In addition to technical ownership, the Manager, Process Control Engineering will build and mentor the PsiQuantum Cryogenics Controls team, establishing best practices in instrumentation, automation, PLC programming, and system operation. PsiQuantum designs, installs, commissions, and operates cryogenic infrastructure across multiple locations worldwide. This position is based in Milpitas, California, with travel required to support global installations and operations. Responsibilities: • Lead the design, implementation, and commissioning of PLC-based cryogenic control system, including control architecture, P&IDs, control narratives, control logic, alarms, and safety interlocks. • Serve as the electrical engineering lead for the cryogenic system, with responsibility for electrical systems up 24 to 480 V and coordination with external specialists for higher-voltage installations. • Design, specify, install, and commission instrumentation, control panels, PLC cabinets, field wiring, UPS systems, motors, VFDs, electrical heaters, and associated power distribution. • Define the controls hardware architecture, including instrumentation, PLCs, remote I/O, industrial networks, communications, and system integration. • Select instrumentation and controls hardware, work closely with equipment vendors, participate in design reviews and Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), and ensure third-party equipment complies with PsiQuantum standards. • Collaborate with Cryogenic Engineers to develop control philosophies, operating sequences, and control narratives for all cryogenic equipment. • Develop the PLC software based on the control philosophy; develop and test control logic, safety interlocks, and automation functions. • Develop Human-Machine Interface (HMI) applications to provide intuitive operation, diagnostics, trending, and alarm management. • Lead installation, loop checks, I/O verification, bench testing, commissioning, startup, and performance validation of new cryogenic systems. • Develop systems for data acquisition, historian integration, trending, diagnostics, and performance analytics to support optimization, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis. • Troubleshoot complex instrumentation, electrical, and automation issues during commissioning and plant operations. • Provide day-to-day, hand-on technical leadership for Process Controls engineers and technicians by assigning work, setting priorities, mentoring team members, reviewing designs, and supporting professional development. • Support cryogenic operations by participating in incident investigations, system upgrades, reliability improvements, and on-call technical support when required Experience/Qualifications: • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline. • 7–10+ years of experience designing and commissioning industrial process control systems. • Strong hands-on experience with PLC-based automation systems. • Experience designing electrical and instrumentation systems for industrial facilities, including instrumentation, PLC hardware, network, motors, VFDs, and power distribution up to 480 VAC. • Demonstrated experience programming PLCs, developing HMI applications, implementing process automation, and troubleshooting complex control systems. • Strong understanding of instrumentation, process measurements, control valves, actuators, alarms, and safety interlocks. • Ability to develop and interpret P&IDs, control narratives, cause-and-effect matrices, electrical drawings, and instrumentation documentation. • Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering projects from design through commissioning and operations. • Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to train and mentor engineers and technicians and develop operating and maintenance procedures. 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 $208,300—$244,700 USD Zone 2 $187,400—$220,200 USD Zone 3 $166,600—$195,800 USD Zone 4 $145,800—$171,300 USD