Quantum Processor Engineering Team Lead

Job Description

The future is quantum. Oxford Ionics is a high-performance quantum computing company delivering world-leading innovations to create the most powerful, accurate and reliable quantum computers to solve the world's most important problems. Quantum Computing offers a radically new way of building computers that harnesses the power of quantum physics to outperform conventional supercomputers exponentially. Using our unique trapped-ion technology, we are at the forefront of the race to unleash the real potential of quantum computing.

What to expect

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and experienced manager for our Quantum Processor Engineering team who will thrive in our dynamic, cross-disciplinary environment. You’d work closely with our skilled engineers and world-leading quantum scientists to plan and manage the development of the processors that power our quantum computers. We have big engineering challenges ahead of us and need someone who can work well in a fast-paced engineering-driven environment.

The Quantum Processor Engineering (QPE) team is responsible for the design, simulation, fabrication, packaging, and testing of our Quantum Processing Units. They combine several cutting-edge technologies, including integrated photonics, cryogenics, advanced packaging, silicon microfabrication, RF, and more.

You will oversee the team's growth strategy, refine internal processes, and drive project delivery to meet the QPE roadmap. You will have a key role in establishing the technical direction for quantum processor unit development. Leadership will be a key component of this role, as you will manage team dynamics, advocate for team needs, and foster an environment that values performance and collaboration.

You’ll be joining an established team of 8. We have some well-established ways of working that we’re confident in, and other aspects of our work that we need your help with! In particular, we look forward to having someone on the team who is excited about and skilled at management. We want someone excited to collaborate as a member of the processor team to figure out new processes and take on the responsibilities that we haven’t been doing justice to.

What you'll be responsible for

Team management

• Managing and supporting other members of the QPE team:
• Looking out for their well-being
• Making yourself available to hear their questions and concerns
• Conducting their performance reviews
• Supporting their career development
• Regularly communicating context and how people’s work fits into the wider company’s strategy
• Working with the CTO and the rest of the team to plan future team growth
• Shaping and evolving the working culture in the QPE team
• Working with the People function and the leadership team to maintain a positive working culture, team engagement and supporting the team’s well-being.

Process

• Leading the definition of any team-internal processes in consultation with the rest of the team
• Actively engaging with these processes and being willing to take on parts of them that better enable the team to do their work
• Working collaboratively with other teams to develop stronger cross-team interfaces and processes
• Consciously considering how process informs team culture, and vice-versa

Delivery

• Helping the QPE team members prioritise their work effectively
• Maintaining awareness of the QPE roadmap and timelines and communicating ramifications to the rest of the company and vice versa

Technology development

• Working with the QPE team members and other technical teams to build long-term roadmaps for our various projects
• Discussing potential solutions with the team
• Communicating internally and externally the status of the QPE roadmap
• Being the first point of call for others in the company to get more information on QPE’s work or for requests directed to the QPE team

Requirements

Communication and technical knowledge

Your communication skills will be vital in successfully sharing information across teams. The level of experience and interaction with hardware varies greatly across our technical teams, and we need someone enthusiastic about sharing information on the technology with a wide range of people.

We need someone who can confidently translate potentially vague feature requests, and user needs into more concrete information that can be used within the processor team. You should be confident discussing potential solutions with the QPE engineers at an architectural level.

A background in microfabrication, packaging, or a related field is essential for this role. You must also be able to interact with experts in these areas and explain concepts/trade-offs/constraints to others.

Management experience

We value proven experience in the management responsibilities outlined above. You must have a track record as a technical manager.

Culture

We want you to share our enthusiasm for collaboration—both inside the QPE team and in the wider team of engineers and scientists. We are building cutting-edge technology, and we can't do that without working effectively together. To us, that means respecting the different skills (technical and otherwise) involved in building quantum computers and building collaborative solutions that take into account these different perspectives.

We want someone who understands the value that useful processes can bring to an organisation, but also the immense cost that bad processes can bring. You will need to be thoughtful about the trade-offs in establishing new working methods.

Our technology

Our Quantum Processing Units are the heart of our Quantum Computers. We trap individual atoms tens of microns above chips mounted in the Quantum Processing Units. Our chips are designed in-house by the processor engineering team and are manufactured by our internal microfabrication team and partners. We work with technologies including:

• Silicon microfabrication
• Microelectronic and optical packaging
• Integrated photonics
• …and they all need to work at cryogenic temperatures

Benefits

Oxford Ionics is at the cutting edge of quantum innovation. We need people like you with the necessary skills, vision and capability. In return, we'll recognise your engagement and excellence with a range of benefits. You'll find opportunities to further your career with a world-class team, business stock options, uncapped annual leave, flexible working hours with either hybrid or onsite working, private medical and dental insurance for you and your family and much more.

Oxford Ionics is committed to equal opportunity for all.