Principal Hardware Engineer: High Speed Mixed Signal Designer

The role

Lead the architecture, implementation and deployment of custom electronic assemblies for the control system of a quantum computer. Drive hardware strategy across projects while staying hands-on in the engineering work, including design reviews and board bring-up.

What you will do

• Drive high level system architectures for instruments, including partitioning across PCBAs, FPGA/control selection, and power, clocking and interconnect strategy
• Advise or guide the technical approach for high-speed mixed-signal front ends, including analog/RF signal chains, DAC and ADC selection, and noise, linearity and phase-noise requirements
• Lead and mentor the team through instrument design, from brainstorming and simulation to prototyping
• Take part in schematic and layout design reviews and collaborate during board bring-up and characterization
• Work with quantum engineers and other groups to understand system needs and define hardware design requirements

Required qualifications

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field
• 10+ years of relevant postgraduate professional experience in board-level analog and digital circuit design, preferably with Altium Designer
• Direct experience designing boards with large, high pin count ICs (FPGAs, processors) and high speed communication busses, memory, sophisticated clocking, and high speed analog/RF circuitry
• Self-motivated, collaborative, and driven to work effectively in a fast-growing startup environment
• Experience teaching and mentoring others in hardware design concepts and process
• Ability to communicate and collaborate with experimental physicists, hardware and software engineers
• Strong grasp of PCB design best practices across the full design cycle, from concept through fabrication, bring-up and production
• Mixed signal design experience
• Demonstrated proficiency with electronic test equipment (e.g., oscilloscopes, spectrum and logic analyzers, signal generators) for bring-up and debug

Nice to have

• Familiarity with RF design concepts and/or software defined radio
• Experience with high speed digital and analog I/O and connector/cable selection and characterization
• Experience with multi-gigabit serial transceiver lane design, evaluation and equalization
• Experience with IBIS-AMI modeling and correlation for multi-gigabit serial interfaces
• Capable in scripting languages (e.g., Python) for data acquisition, instrument control and automated hardware test
• Experience designing high speed memory interfaces
• Experience working in a Linux environment
• Familiarity with MicroTCA, PXIe, or similar pluggable instrument standards

Benefits

• Fully paid medical, dental and vision insurance for employees and dependents
• Unlimited paid time off
• 401K company matching
• Short- and long-term disability
• FSA and dependent care benefits
• Life insurance
• Drinks, snacks and catered team lunches in the office every day
• Annual bonus and equity in the company

About the company

Atom Computing builds quantum computers using arrays of optically trapped neutral atoms. The company describes itself as a world-class team of scientists, engineers and business professionals advancing quantum computing.