Quantum hardware engineer

Description

Qolab is a superconducting quantum hardware company engineering the manufacturing and systems foundation required to scale quantum computing from laboratory devices to utility-scale systems. Founded in 2022, we are now executing on the hardest unsolved challenge in the field: reproducible qubit fabrication and hardware integration at manufacturing standards. In 2025 we launched Qolab Start, our first deployable superconducting QPU platform. We partner with world-class organizations in device fabrication, high-speed control electronics, and high-performance computing — including Applied Materials, the global leader in advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

About the Team

Qolab was co-founded by Alan Ho (CEO), John Martinis (CTO), Robert McDermott (Head of Hardware), and Britton Plourde — a team built across UC Berkeley, Google, and NIST whose combined work has defined the trajectory of superconducting quantum computing over four decades.

John Martinis is a 2025 Nobel laureate in Physics whose 1985 foundational research on quantum tunneling underpins modern superconducting hardware. He led the hardware engineering behind Google's 2019 quantum supremacy milestone. Alan Ho led product and business at Google Quantum AI through the same experiment. Robert McDermott is a UW–Madison professor and leading researcher in superconducting qubits and quantum measurement. Britton Plourde is recognized for pioneering qubit readout and control techniques and designing efficient quantum circuits.

All four founders are actively building not advising from the sidelines.

About the Job

Qolab is recruiting quantum hardware engineers to join our team focused on the development of utility-scale superconducting quantum computers. A core focus at Qolab is improving qubit coherence through a deep understanding of underlying physics and the development of proprietary fabrication processes, being implemented in collaboration with Applied Materials.

This is not a narrow execution role. You will work across device design, fabrication process development, cryogenic measurement, and hardware control — with direct exposure to Qolab's full technical stack and close collaboration with founding scientists. Our flat team structure and high scientist-to-manager ratio mean you will have direct ownership over real problems, not filtered assignments.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and characterize superconducting qubits and related devices

• Develop and refine fabrication processes to improve qubit coherence and reproducibility

• Work hands-on in cryogenic test environments, including dilution refrigerators

• Develop hardware systems for qubit control and measurement

• Analyze qubit performance and contribute to iterative device optimization

• Collaborate closely with partner organizations and cross-disciplinary internal teams

Required Qualifications

• A degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (BS, MS, or PhD)

• 3+ years of experience in quantum hardware or similar R&D environments

• Direct experience with superconducting qubits, cryogenic measurement, device fabrication, or related quantum technologies

• Able to work onsite in Madison, WI

• Excited by technical depth, fast iteration, and high-responsibility environments

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with qubit readout and control circuit design

• Familiarity with quantum error correction or surface code architectures

• Background working in a semiconductor fab or cleanroom environment

• Prior collaboration with industry partners on hardware integration or process transfer

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Unlimited PTO

• Relocation assistance provided

• Paid parental leave

• Equipment stipend

• Conference and research travel covered

• Remote flexibility for non-lab roles

Location

Madison, Wisconsin — Onsite, Full-Time. Relocation assistance provided.

Created at 2026-03-31 06:08:07

Updated at 2026-03-31 17:34:41

Location: In-office (Madison, WI);

About Qolab:

About Qolab

Qolab is a superconducting quantum hardware company engineering the manufacturing and systems foundation required to scale quantum computing from laboratory devices to utility-scale systems. Founded in 2022, we are led by Nobel laureate John Martinis (CTO & Co-Founder), whose 1985 foundational research on quantum tunneling underpins modern superconducting hardware, and who led the hardware engineering behind Google's 2019 quantum supremacy milestone. Robert McDermott (Head of Hardware & Co-Founder) is a UW–Madison professor and leading physicist in superconducting qubits and quantum measurement. Britton Plourde (Quantum Hardware Engineer & Co-Founder) is recognized for pioneering qubit readout and control techniques. Alan Ho (CEO & Co-Founder) led product and business at Google Quantum AI through the supremacy demonstration.

Qolab partners with world-class organizations in device fabrication, high-speed control electronics, and high-performance computing — including Applied Materials, the global leader in advanced semiconductor tooling — to engineer robust, manufacturable quantum systems. In 2025 we launched Qolab Start, our first deployable superconducting QPU platform. We are now executing on the next challenge: reproducible qubit fabrication and hardware integration at manufacturing standards.

Team Background

Qolab was co-founded by Alan Ho (CEO), John Martinis (CTO), Robert McDermott (Head of Hardware), and Britton Plourde — a team built across UC Berkeley, Google, and NIST. John Martinis is a 2025 Nobel laureate in Physics and led hardware for Google's 2019 quantum supremacy milestone. Alan Ho led product and business at Google Quantum AI through the same experiment. Robert McDermott is a UW–Madison professor and leading researcher in superconducting qubits. Britton Plourde is recognized for pioneering qubit readout and control techniques. All four founders are actively building — not advising from the sidelines.

Why Qolab

You will work under the direct technical guidance of John Martinis, Robert McDermott, and Britton Plourde not as distant advisors, but as active collaborators on the hardware problems you'll be solving every day. The leadership behind the quantum supremacy experiment is still building, and you'd be joining them at a moment when the hardest manufacturing and integration challenges are just coming into focus.

Our culture runs on four principles: collaborating at the highest standard, truth-seeking over consensus-seeking, definite optimism over indefinite optimism, and metrology not mythology. If you've worked in environments that confuse activity with results, you'll notice the difference immediately.

Compensation is competitive and includes salary and equity. Relocation assistance is provided for candidates moving to Madison, WI. Full benefits details are shared during the interview process.

Qolab is committed to building a diverse team and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. We believe the hardest problems in quantum hardware benefit from the widest range of perspectives and experiences.

Benefits & Perks

Competitive salary and equity. Health, dental, and vision insurance. Unlimited PTO. Relocation assistance for Madison, WI. Remote flexibility for non-lab roles. Conference and research travel covered. Equipment stipend and paid parental leave included.

Open positions:

• Qolab - Sample Job

• Qolab - Quantum Hardware Eengineer