Lead Quantum Engineer, Systems Performance
Rigetti Computing
Listing collected from Rigetti Computing's career site. NextChapter is independent of Rigetti Computing.
Berkeley, CA · $190k–$225k a year · Posted August 19, 2026
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Where Berkeley, CA ranks
Where Berkeley, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #6Best cities for mid-career professionals in the West Coast62% · of 71
- #9Best cities for energy and utilities jobs91 openings · of 27
- #9Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the West Coast1.3% · of 66
- #10Best cities for energy and utilities pay after cost of living$144k · of 18
- #11Cities that post pay most often43% · of 100
- #13Best cities for mid-career professionals62% · of 100
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- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
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- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among engineers, all other is little observed so far. Measured exposure for engineers, all other: 7% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
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About the job
Rigetti is seeking a Lead Quantum Engineer for the Systems Performance team. In this position you will play a critical role in shaping our technical roadmap. You will lead a cross-functional team focused on building the next generation of Rigetti’s quantum hardware, and take a high-ownership role in delivering the technologies required to unlock new levels of performance at scale. In your daily work, you will propose new ideas to push the performance and scalability of superconducting qubit systems, design and execute experiments to test those ideas, and lead a diverse set of engineers and scientists to identify and mitigate key performance gaps. The right candidate will have a demonstrated track record of scientific success across multiple institutions, technical leadership experience, a high-ownership mentality, and strong organization and communication skills.
Key Responsibilities
Design, build, and lead cross-functional experimental programs to inform the technical roadmap and drive systems-level improvements.
Propose and explore new technical directions.
Identify and address complex gaps in existing technology.
Own the delivery of key quantum hardware technologies.
About You
PhD in Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
Prior technical role in an industry or start-up environment.
Demonstrated technical leadership experience.
Direct experience with cryogenic systems and RF measurement techniques
Extensive hands-on experience with time-domain measurement, and superconducting quantum devices.
Track record of meaningful accomplishments in quantum science or related fields.
Working knowledge of Python.
Enjoys teamwork and inter-team collaboration.
Excellent communication skills.
Nice to Have
Strong coding skills.
Familiarity with cQED simulation tools.
As engineering leaders, we value diversity and are committed to building a culture of inclusion to attract and engage innovative thinkers. Our technology, meant to serve all of humanity, cannot succeed if those who built it do not mirror the diversity of the communities we serve. Applications from women, minorities, and other under-represented groups are encouraged.
About Rigetti Rigetti Computing is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. The company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides ultra-low latency integration with public and private clouds for high-performance practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Rigetti was founded in 2013 and today employs more than 150 people with offices in the United States, U.K., and Australia. Learn more at www.rigetti.com.
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Export Licensing Compliance Rigetti is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.