Remote Founding Engineer Jobs in Silver Spring, MD

Role can be remote in the U.S.
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:
As Senior Director, Federal Scientific Partnerships, you will lead PsiQuantum's strategy for scientific and technical partnerships and business growth across the U.S. federal civilian R&D ecosystem, with emphasis on the Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), NIST, NASA, national laboratories, and research universities. You will identify, shape, and execute high-value scientific collaborations and funding opportunities that advance PsiQuantum's technical roadmap, scientific credibility, and long-term growth objectives.
This role includes responsibility for building and maintaining relationships with senior agency officials and offices, developing high-value R&D collaborations, supporting the capture of competitive R&D awards, strengthening engagement with leading researchers and institutions, and expanding adoption of PsiQuantum's software tools within the federal and academic research communities. Success in this role requires strong technical fluency, deep understanding of the federal science ecosystem, and the ability to translate external R&D opportunities into coordinated internal action spanning the engineering, applications, solutions, product, and public sector teams.
Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead PsiQuantum's scientific and technical partnership strategy for the federal civilian R&D ecosystem, including DOE, NSF, NASA, NIST, national laboratories, and research universities.
• Identify, shape, and support responses to strategic R&D funding opportunities, including award contracts and other collaborative vehicles aligned with PsiQuantum's roadmap and business.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with federal civilian R&D program leaders and offices.
• Build and execute partnership strategies with the national laboratories and research universities that strengthen PsiQuantum's scientific leadership, position the company for increased impact with R&D funding agencies, and increase adoption of PsiQuantum's fault-tolerant quantum applications software tools.
• Work cross-functionally with PsiQuantum's engineering, applications, solutions, product, and public sector teams to translate external R&D opportunities into actionable plans.
• Help to define PsiQuantum's public science ecosystem strategy, including prioritization of institutions, consortia, workshops, strategic collaborations, externally visible scientific engagements, and scientific messaging.
• Collaborate with government program management team for smooth handoff of contracted awards and partnerships for execution, and proactively communicate and resolve program issues.
• Provide strategic input to PsiQuantum internal teams based on relationships and insights from the federal civilian R&D ecosystem.
• Maintain disciplined pipeline forecasting, opportunity and partnership prioritization, and internal reporting.

Qualifications:
Required -

• An advanced degree in a STEM field (or comparable technical depth in a relevant field), strong technical fluency, and the ability to engage credibly with research scientists, engineers, and federal program staff.
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in the federal civilian R&D ecosystem, which may include federal agencies (particularly DOE), national laboratories, or other relevant institutions.
• Experience with partnership development, R&D funding capture, federal acquisition and contracting, and business development in emerging technologies.
• Experience in the technical, programmatic, and operational challenges of developing, deploying, and sustaining complex technologies, hardware and software.
• Ability to identify, establish, and leverage key relationships with senior level officials and program stakeholders within the federal government and the federal civilian R&D ecosystem.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting to senior executives and customers; ability to translate complex topics, convince, and inspire through the written and spoken word.
• Capable of succeeding in a fast-paced, ambiguous, dynamic, and creative environment.
• Ability to travel required.
• Preferred TS/SCI Clearance.

Preferred -

• Advanced degrees in STEM a plus.
• 10+ years as a government employee or federal contractor, preferably in DoE. Demonstrated experience supporting or winning competitive R&D awards from DOE, NSF, NIST, NASA, and involving national laboratories or universities.
• Understanding of fault-tolerant quantum computing, computational science, and/or the research domains where fault-tolerant quantum computing stands to make an impact.
• Prior employment in a federal science agency is a plus.

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
$235,000-$260,000 USD
Bay Area Pay Range
$270,000-$300,000 USD
The range below reflect the target range for a new hire base salary. 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.
Arlington, VA Pay Range
$235,000-$260,000 USD