Overview

Microsoft Quantum is dedicated to solving the world’s intractable problems and altering our economic, industrial, academic, and societal landscape. In just hours or days, a quantum computer can solve complex problems that would otherwise take today’s computers billions of years! This has massive implications for research in healthcare, energy, environmental systems, smart materials, and more. Most importantly, Microsoft brings the only scalable quantum system to the broadest set of customers. For more information about our team, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/quantum.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Hardware Engineer with a focus on device yield to join our team. This role is central to advancing our quantum hardware roadmap and requires deep expertise in superconductor and semiconductor physics, device fabrication, and crystal chemistry.

The successful candidate will lead efforts in designing robust test structures, and evaluating device performance across cryogenic and room temperatures. You will apply advanced statistical analysis and data mining techniques to extract insights from electrical tests and yield data, coordinate low yield components submissions for failure analysis investigations, collaborate across hardware and software teams to improve manufacturability, and contribute to scalable quantum device production.

Your work will directly inform design decisions, fabrication strategies, and future development efforts, helping shape the future of quantum computing.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, and we’re dedicated to this mission across every aspect of our company. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. Join us and help shape the future of the world.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct deep analysis of device performance across temperature regimes using statistical and exploratory techniques to extract insights from inline data, end of line room temperature electrical and cryogenic data.

• Develop scripts and applications that transform experimental data into strategic guidance for yield improvement and roadmap alignment.

• Design and implement test structures and programs to validate advanced design rules and extract key parameters for superconducting devices and interconnects.

• Collaborate with design and system teams to establish performance benchmarks, resolve circuit-level challenges, and scale manufacturability.

• Maintain and evolve PDKs and documentation, ensuring alignment across hardware teams and accessibility of design assets.

• Collaborate with process development engineers to articulate problem statements, formulate hypotheses and facilitate the resolution of yield issues.

• Other:

• Embody our Culture and Values

Qualifications Required/Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field AND 6+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment

• OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field  AND 4+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment

• OR Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field  AND 1+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment, could include completion of a post doctoral research position

• 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 (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR), 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.

• Experience using AI to streamline research and manufacturing processes.

• 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).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field AND 3+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment, could include completion of a post doctoral research position

• OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field  AND 6+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment

• OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field  AND 8+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment

• OR equivalent experience.

• Experience with statistical Process Control (SPC), and Design of Experiments (DOE) principle Familiarity with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools such as Cadence Virtuoso, Synopsys, Mentor Graphics, or Keysight ADS.

• Deep understanding of superconducting and semiconductor physics, device fabrication, and solid state chemistry.

• Experience in developing code in high-level languages (e.g. Python, Matlab) in a version-controlled environment (e.g. Git).

• Experience designing and implementing interactive dashboards (e.g., using Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent) to visualize Pareto analysis and yield metrics, including drill-down capability for root cause identification and trend monitoring across process steps.

• Industry experience in semiconductor processing fundamentals (lithography, wet etch, dry etch, thin film deposition, etc.).

• Familiarity with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for tracking work-in-progress (WIP) in a fabrication environment is highly desirable. Experience using MES platforms to monitor production status, optimize workflow, and ensure traceability of materials throughout the fab process is a strong asset.

• Data analysis skills with demonstrated ability to construct clear data-based problem statements and knowledge of quantum physics, behavior of semiconductors at cryogenic temperatures.

#Quantum #Quantum Careers #MDQCareers

Quantum Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $158,400 - $258,000 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

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.