Senior Quantum Hardware Engineer

Microsoft Quantum is dedicated to solving the world's intractable problems and altering our economic, industrial, academic, and societal landscape. In just hours or days, a quantum computer can solve complex problems that would otherwise take today's computers billions of years! This has massive implications for research in healthcare, energy, environmental systems, smart materials, and more. Most importantly, Microsoft brings the only scalable quantum system to the broadest set of customers. For more information about our team, visit .

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated? Senior Quantum Hardware Engineer (Process and Yield Engineer)?with a focus on thin films development to join our team. This role is central to advancing our quantum hardware roadmap and requires deep expertise in semiconductor physics, device fabrication, and crystal chemistry.

The successful candidate will lead efforts in designing robust test structures, and evaluating device performance across cryogenic and room temperatures. You will apply advanced statistical analysis and data mining techniques to extract insights from electrical tests and yield data, collaborate across hardware and software teams to improve manufacturability, and contribute to scalable quantum device production. Your work will directly inform design decisions, fabrication strategies, and future development efforts, helping shape the future of quantum computing.

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees, we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day, we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

Conduct research to improve thin film deposition processes for dielectric, metal, and superconducting materials, focusing on device performance across cryogenic and room temperatures.

Collaborate with engineering and quantum measurement teams to integrate new thin film deposition processes into existing manufacturing operations and determine which device metrics are most affected by deposition. Perform iterative improvements to enhance functional metrics.

Ensure all thin film deposition processes meet industry standards and safety regulations, coordinating downtime and forecasting consumable needs or required modifications with on-site equipment engineers.

Design and implement test structures and programs to validate advanced design rules and extract key parameters for quantum devices and thin film interconnects.

Collaborate with design and system teams to establish performance benchmarks, resolve circuit-level challenges, and scale manufacturability.

Integrate yield insights into upstream workflows through cross-functional collaboration, simulation validation, and educational contributions.

Other :

Embody our Culture () and Values ()

Qualifications

Required / Minimum Qualifications :

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field?AND 6+ years?experience?in industry or in a research and development environment?

OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field?AND 4+ years experiencein industry or in a research and development?environment?

OR Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field?AND1+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment,?could include completion of a post doctoral research position??

OR equivalent experience.?

Experience using AI to streamline research and manufacturing processes.

Deep understanding of semiconductor physics, device fabrication, and solid state chemistry.

Experience in developing code in high-level languages (e.g. Python, Matlab) in a version-controlled environment (e.g. Git).

Effective written and verbal communication skills, with proficiency in problem-solving and keen attention to detail.

Other Requirements :

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and / or government security screening requirements arerequired for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings : ?

Microsoft Cloud Background Check : This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire / transfer and every two years thereafter.

Citizenship & Citizenship Verification : This role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the EU Dual Use Regulation, and / or other export control regulations. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide either proof of their country of citizenship or proof of their U.S. permanent residency or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export-controlled information. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate's citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status using other documents, where applicable.

Ability to leverage AI tools to drive innovation and efficiency (e.g., performance modeling and analysis, research gathering, day to day task automation).

Apply AI to accelerate engineering and lab workflows. Design and build AI agents / copilots that assist with experiment setup, log triage, measurement report generation, protocol templating, and knowledge retrieval (e.g., instrument manuals, design docs).

Preferred Qualifications :

Doctorate in?Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field?AND 3+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment, could include completion of a post doctoral research position

OR Master's Degree in?Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field??AND 6+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment

OR Bachelor's Degree in?Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field? AND 8+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment

OR equivalent experience.

8+?years of industry experience in semiconductor processing fundamentals (lithography, wet etch, dry etch, chemical and / or mechanical polishing, etc.).

Deep experience with statistical Process Control (SPC), or Design of Experiments (DOE) principles.?

Familiarity with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools such as?Cadence Virtuoso,?Synopsys,?Mentor Graphics, or?Keysight ADS is highly valuable.?

Data analysis skills with demonstrated ability to construct clear data-based problem statements and knowledge of quantum physics, behavior of semiconductors at cryogenic temperatures is desirable.?

Ability to be flexible and adapt to new situations in a rapidly changing research environment.??

Familiarity with superconducting circuits.

Quantum Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $158,400 - $258,000 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here :

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until November 5, 2025.

#Quantum?#QuantumCareers #MDQCareers?

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and / or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations () .