Principal Quantum Engineer - Systems Physics & Performance

Overview

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft Quantum has assembled a talented and diverse international team to create the world's first scalable quantum computing system. Our full-stack approach involves innovations from physics on the quantum plane to global quantum services and everything in between. The Microsoft Quantum program strives to fundamentally change the world of computing to help solve problems that are currently intractable for classical machines. We are entering a period of accelerated development, and we are seeking exceptional scientific leaders to help define what comes next. For more information about our team, visit

We are seeking a Principal Quantum Engineer - Systems Physics & Performance to drive foundational advances in how we characterize, understand, and optimize the behavior of complex quantum-device systems. This role focuses on the physics of interacting qubits, emergent disorder phenomena, and the development of new diagnostic and mitigation strategies that enable robust operation at scale. The position offers the opportunity to influence the direction of the world's first topological quantum computing effort, working closely with multidisciplinary teams in a deeply collaborative, research-forward environment.

This role sits at the intersection of condensed-matter physics, quantum device systems, and advanced materials characterization. The ideal candidate combines a deep understanding of fundamental physics with a passion for building new methodologies-spanning theory, experiment, and metrology-to unlock new levels of system performance.

Responsibilities

• Systems-Level Physics & Quantum System Performance: Develop frameworks for diagnosing and optimizing multi-component quantum systems, going beyond single-device metrics to capture interactions, emergent error sources, and disorder effects.
• Design and analyze computational benchmarks with known clean-limit solutions to extract, quantify, and mitigate effective local random fields and other correlated-error phenomena that arise in real-world problem instances.
• Translate insights from interacting-qubit physics into practical corrective procedures and architectural recommendations for next-generation topological quantum processors. Collaborate closely with theorists, device physicists, and materials scientists to bridge physical-model predictions with experimentally accessible observables.
• Materials & Device Diagnostics: Provide guidance on the interpretation of advanced materials and device measurements, including morphology, chemistry, electronic states, and interfacial properties of multilayer quantum-device stacks.
• Partner with internal and external teams to design measurement campaigns at large national and international metrology facilities, including x-ray synchrotrons, and integrate results into device-fabrication and hardware-design feedback loops.
• Identify and champion novel characterization approaches that illuminate failure modes or performance bottlenecks in quantum-device systems-while ensuring deep collaboration and alignment with existing internal metrology teams.
• Emerging Interfaces: Optics, THz, & Alternative Readout Pathways: Support exploratory, high-impact research directions related to future-generation readout and control schemes, such as, quantifying and reducing the fundamental time-scales associated with topological-device readout under realistic noise and error-rate constraints, investigating architectures in which RF signals are distributed via optical carriers into the cryostat, including on-chip demultiplexing strategies for scalable, high-bandwidth readout infrastructure and collaborate with quantum-electronics, photonics, and cryogenic-engineering teams to evaluate practical and theoretical boundaries of these approaches.
• Other:
  • Embody our Culture and Values

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Doctorate in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment
  • OR Master's Degree in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 10+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment
  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 12+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment
  • OR equivalent experience.

Other Requirements:

• 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 or Export Administration Regulations, 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 work in an "AI-first" environment using modern AI tools to accelerate discovery through both hardware and software development.
• Ability to design and build AI agents/copilots that assist with experiment setup, log triage, measurement report generation, protocol templating, and knowledge retrieval (e.g. instrument manuals, design docs).

Additional/Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctorate degree in Physics, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field AND 7+ years of post-doctoral or equivalent research experience in quantum condensed-matter physics, strongly correlated systems, quantum devices, mesoscopic physics, or related areas.
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in the physics of interacting quantum systems, disorder phenomena, or complex device behavior.
• Experience designing, interpreting, or leading advanced experimental diagnostics (e.g., x-ray scattering, spectroscopy, nanoscale probes, time-resolved techniques, or equivalent).
• Proven ability to drive scientific programs that integrate theory, experiment, and hardware development.
• Internationally recognized contributions in condensed-matter physics, quantum materials, or quantum devices.
• Experience with system-level performance modeling or physics-based error-analysis methodologies.
• Familiarity with superconducting, topological, or hybrid semiconductor-superconductor quantum platforms.
• Knowledge of cryogenic measurement techniques and device-fabrication workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor teams and foster cross-functional collaboration.
• Excellent communication, scientific-writing, and external-engagement skills.
• Ability to navigate a rapidly evolving research and engineering environment with flexibility and creativity.

#Quantum #QuantumCareers #MDQCareers

Quantum Engineering IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 - $296,400 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $220,800 - $331,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
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This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.