Api Architect Jobs (NOW HIRING)

PsiQuantum's mission is to build the first useful quantum computers-machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016, our singular focus has been to build and deploy million-qubit, fault-tolerant quantum systems.
Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials, and other foundational industries.
Our architecture and approach is based on silicon photonics. By leveraging the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry-including partners like GlobalFoundries-we use the same high-volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photons don't feel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure.
In 2024, PsiQuantum announced government-funded projects to support the build-out of our first utility-scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that quantum computing will be strategically and economically defining-and that now is the time to scale.
PsiQuantum also develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application, software, and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies-including Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mitsubishi Chemical-to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact.
Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. It represents a fundamental shift-and a path to mastering challenges that cannot be solved any other way. The potential is enormous, and we have a clear path to make it real.
Come join us.
Job Summary:
Quantum computing promises to solve many important problems that could never be solved on any conventional computer. At PsiQuantum we're building a general-purpose silicon photonic quantum computer to tackle these very problems.
We are seeking a senior API & Workflow Platform Architect to design and scale the integration architecture that connects our photonic IC (PIC), passive, and active IC design toolchains. Our engineering workflows span schematic capture, layout, DRC/LVS, EM simulation, optical modeling, process modeling, packaging co-design, and silicon validation. These flows rely on a combination of commercial EDA tools, in-house solvers, Python-based automation, and data pipelines.
An ideal candidate is a systems-minded API and workflow architect who thrives at the intersection of SW engineering and advanced hardware design environments (photonics, semiconductor, or EDA toolchains). They bring deep experience designing and governing APIs across heterogeneous systems-proprietary CAD tools, simulation engines, layout databases, EM/optical solvers, test platforms, and CI/CD pipelines-while defining canonical data models that preserve design intent and traceability from schematic through layout, extraction, verification, and tape-out. They are equally comfortable writing production-grade Python services and debating schema versioning strategy, event-driven orchestration, or data lineage requirements. The ideal candidate combines architectural rigor with pragmatism: able to reduce toolchain chaos into scalable, observable, and secure integration platforms that enable automation, reproducibility, and rapid innovation across PIC, passive, and active IC design teams. Above all, they think in systems, communicate clearly across software and device engineering teams, and build platforms that others are excited to adopt.
Responsibilities:

• Key member of the software solutions team responsible for developing and deploying software for test systems, product platforms and manufacturing data management.
• Design and standardize APIs enabling interoperability between EDA tools, in-house photonic solvers, PDK infrastructure, and CI/CD systems (Gitlab is a plus).
• Build and maintain middleware/adapters for commercial and proprietary tools with inconsistent or limited APIs.
• Establish API versioning, schema validation, and backward compatibility strategies to support evolving toolchains without breaking downstream flows.
• Implement observability and traceability mechanisms (logging, metrics, lineage tracking) to ensure reproducibility and auditability of design runs.
• Collaborate with device, layout, and simulation engineers to translate domain requirements into robust platform abstractions.

Experience/Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related technical field.
• 7+ years of software engineering experience, with significant exposure to systems integration or platform architecture.
• Proven experience designing and governing APIs (REST, gRPC, event-driven architectures) in complex, multi-tool environments.
• Familiarity with data interchange formats (protocol buffers, avro, etc.)
• Experience integrating with data platforms (DataBricks, Tableau, etc.)
• Strong programming skills in Python (required) and at least one systems or backend language (Go, C++, Java, Rust, or similar).
• Experience integrating heterogeneous tools, including proprietary or vendor software with limited or inconsistent APIs.
• Demonstrated experience defining canonical data models and managing schema/versioning strategy.
• Familiarity with CI/CD systems, containerization (Docker), and orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes or equivalent).
• Experience implementing logging, monitoring, and observability for distributed systems.
• Strong understanding of software architecture principles: modularity, loose coupling, scalability, reliability.
• Experience working in engineering-heavy domains (EDA, semiconductor, hardware, scientific computing, or similar).
• Proven team player with an ability to work effectively across departments, sites, time zones.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with an ability to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences.
• Strong critical thinking, creative, innovative, analytical, and detail-oriented problem-solving skills.
• Proven track record of impactful results.
• Ability to work independently with limited direction.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and juggle multiple priorities and deliver against a schedule.
• Demonstrated interest in quantum computing.
• Ability to contribute to a fast-paced start-up environment.

PsiQuantum provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. PsiQuantum does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable laws.
Note: PsiQuantum will only reach out to you using an official PsiQuantum email address and will never ask you for bank account information as part of the interview process. Please report any suspicious activity to recruiting@psiquantum.com
We are not accepting unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.
The ranges below reflect the target ranges for a new hire base salary. One is for the Bay Area (within 50 miles of HQ, Palo Alto), the second one (if applicable) is for elsewhere in the US (beyond 50 miles of HQ, Palo Alto). If there is only one range, it is for the specific location of where the position will be located. Actual compensation may vary outside of these ranges and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to a candidate's qualifications including relevant education and training, competencies, experience, geographic location, and business needs. Base pay is only one part of the total compensation package. Full time roles are eligible for equity and benefits. Base pay is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
U.S. Base Pay Range
$165,000-$185,000 USD
Bay Area Pay Range
$180,000-$200,000 USD