Ion Trap Top Metal Designer

Job Description

Job Title: Ion Trap Top Metal Designer. Location: Broomfield, CO or Golden Valley, MN (On-site)

Responsibilities:

• Design and optimize surface-electrode ion traps using electrostatic simulation tools.
• Evaluate feasibility of next-generation trap architectures through trade studies;
• Work closely with quantum circuit compilers and system architects to align trap design with operational goals.
• Collaborate with microfabrication teams to integrate sub-surface structures that support robust ion trapping;
• Contribute to defining the scientific processes that drive technical advancement across the hardware platform.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in physics, electrical engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 2 years of experience applying physical principles to numerical optimization;
• Must be a U.S. person (citizen, permanent resident, or asylum/refugee status holder) due to contractual and national security restrictions.
• Cannot be solely a national of the People’s Republic of China or Russia unless also a U.S. citizen.

Preferred:

• Ph.D. in physics, electrical engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience designing ion traps using FEM or BEM electrostatic modeling.
• Background in numerical optimization (e.g., convex optimization, genetic algorithms, control theory).
• Familiarity with multi-species ion trapping and advanced ion transport techniques;
• Proficiency in Python, Julia, or C;
• Experience using HPC resources, GPU acceleration, or parallel computing methods.
• Proven ability to solve complex technical problems through original, physics-grounded approaches.
• A portfolio of public-facing technical work (e.g., publications, patents, open-source contributions).

Compensation:

• Base salary range: $129,000 – $155,000 annually
• Non-incentive eligible

Benefits:

• Flexible work schedule
• Employer-subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with student loan repayment match
• Paid parental leave;
• 12 paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave
• Equity opportunities;
• Employee discounts