Principal Instrument Development Engineer

• Lead instrument development from concept through prototype and deployment, including requirements, architecture, schematic/layout oversight, bring-up, calibration, and characterization. 

• Architect and design precision, low-noise, and mixed-signal electronics for measurement and control, including signal integrity, grounding/shielding, and power integrity in demanding lab/cryo-adjacent environments. 

• Define timing/clocking and synchronization approaches across instruments and subsystems; own key electrical interfaces between instruments, cryo hardware, and control/readout stacks. 

• Drive robust validation of instruments (test plans, automated measurements, calibration workflows, and acceptance criteria), and use data to improve performance, reliability, and manufacturability. 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including quantum research, architecture, experimentalists, cryogenics, firmware/software, and test engineering to translate system needs into measurable electrical specifications and instrument roadmaps. 

• Define and maintain shared reference and validation platforms (bench/rack/PCB/interconnect) used to de-risk new designs, enable rapid bring-up, and provide repeatable regression coverage for critical slices of the stack. 

• Lead vendor engagement and manage build/buy decisions for instrument and validation hardware (e.g., chassis/backplanes, connectors/cabling, clocks, power modules, test fixtures), including qualification plans and acceptance criteria. 

Other: 

• Embody our Culture and Values  

Required Qualifications /Minimum Qualifications  

• Doctorate in Electrical Engineering or related field AND 3+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment 

• • OR Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field AND 6+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment 

• • OR Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field AND 8+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment 

• • OR equivalent experience. 

Other Qualifications 

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required 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).  
• Ability to work in an “AI-first” environment using modern AI tools to accelerate discovery through hardware development. 

Preferred Qualifications