Monarch Quantum

Designs and manufactures quantum photonic subsystems

Senior Project Engineer - Light Engines

Project ManagementUpdated on Nov 11

Full-timeSan Diego, CA, USA

About the Job

Requirements

This position requires access to export-controlled information, and employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).
An advanced degree in Engineering or a related field is required.
At least 8 years of relevant experience, including pursuit of relevant higher education, is required; experience within a startup or technology company is ideal.
A proven record of successfully leading a photonic system development project using a structured development process is required.
Expertise in a subset of technical areas is required, including systems engineering, optics and photonics, AMO physics, control theory, opto-mechanics, electrical engineering, or software engineering.
The candidate must be creative, flexible, eager to handle multiple responsibilities, passionate about building systems from the ground up, and comfortable with ambiguity and change.

Responsibilities

Lead planning and execution of development projects, taking responsibility for project scope, schedule, and budget.
Represent the company to customers and collaborate with functional managers within Engineering and across functions to ensure successful project execution.
Manage matrixed technical teams through schedule bottlenecks, uncertainty, lack of information, and sudden changes; shield the team from external disruption and maintain productivity and focus on successful outcomes.
Provide technical, logistical, and problem-solving leadership; develop and apply engineering best practices.
Anticipate project risks and opportunities and manage them throughout the projects.
Execute projects according to internally defined and customer-defined processes, reaching, documenting, and defending project milestones.
Conduct requirements, design, and test readiness reviews; support integration and test events, test reports, installation, and support activities.

Senior Project Engineer, Light Engines

Monarch Quantum · San Diego, United States · Full-time · Posted 2026-11-10

Salary: USD 125,000–175,000

Workplace: on_site

Department: Engineering

Description

Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Senior Project Engineer, Light Engines. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment. You'll have the opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth. Your key responsibilities are as follows:

Leads planning and execution of development projects, responsible for project scope, schedule and budget. Represents the company in front of customers and collaborates with functional managers within Engineering and cross-functionally to assure successful project execution.
Manages matrixed technical team thru schedule bottlenecks, uncertainty, lack of information and sudden changes, while screening team from external turbulence and assuring highest productivity and focus on success.
Provides technical, logistical and problem-solving leadership, develops and employs best engineering practices. Anticipates risks and identifies opportunities, then manages both thru the projects.
Responsible for project execution per internally and customer defined processes, reaching, documenting and defending project milestones: requirement, design and test readiness reviews, integration and test events, test reports, installation and support activities.

Requirements

This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).

Experience:

Advanced degree in Engineering or a related field.
8 years of relevant experience (including pursuit of relevant higher education), ideally within a startup or technology company.

Skills:

Proven record of successfully leading a photonic system development project using structured development process.
Expert in a subset of technical areas: systems engineering, optics and photonics, AMO physics, control theory, opto-mechanics, electrical and software engineering.

Startup Mindset:

You're creative, flexible, and eager to wear multiple hats.
You're passionate about building systems from the ground up and comfortable with ambiguity and change.

Benefits

The expected annual salary range for this position is $125,000-$175,000.

As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
13 paid company holidays
9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)

Monarch Quantum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.

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About the Company

Monarch Quantum

Designs and manufactures quantum photonic subsystems

Monarch Quantum designs and manufactures Quantum Light Engines, integrated photonic subsystems that replace large laser systems with compact, factory-aligned modules. These modules handle state preparation, cooling, trapping, manipulation, and coherent control to prepare and measure quantum states for computing, sensing, and communications. They operate with a vertically integrated model in San Diego, combining in-house systems engineering, hybrid optical packaging, robotic assembly, and AI-driven manufacturing to enable design-to-volume production under one roof, reducing size, complexity, and integration risk. The company differentiates itself by offering ready-to-integrate modular photonic subsystems for architectures such as trapped-ion, neutral-atom, and photonics-based platforms, targeting hardware developers, system integrators, and OEMs to streamline quantum hardware development and scaling.

Company size: 51-200
Company stage: Early VC
Total funding: $55M
Headquarters: San Diego, CA
Founded: 2025

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