Required Qualifications
Ph.D. with 7+ years or M.S. with 10+ years of direct experience in lithography process development and integration.
Degree in Physics, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
Proven hands-on mastery of the full lithography "wet" stack, including CAR/non-CAR resist chemistry, reaction kinetics, CD control, and sub-micron overlay management.
Strong expertise in SPC, DOE, GR&R, and root-cause analysis; proficiency with JMP or similar statistical software to build diagnostic frameworks from the ground up.
Proven ability to professionalize processes in R&D or semi-manual environments, translating "tribal knowledge" into scalable SOPs, recipes, and technical specifications.
Hands-on proficiency with track systems, projection steppers, contact aligners, and maskless aligners (MLA).
Ability to build process frameworks and drive technical strategy rather than just executing within existing ones.
Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize module-level goals, and mentor junior engineering staff while maintaining deep hands-on technical engagement.
Comfortable working in cleanroom environments (HAZMAT and ESD protocols).
Highly Desired Experience
Experience partnering with E-beam hardware specialists to optimize the resist/process interface.
Technical knowledge of proximity effect correction (PEC), dose strategy optimization, and multi-layer resist stacks.
Expertise in managing charging and thermal stability challenges on non-standard or insulating substrates.
Direct experience with DUV (KrF/ArF) or i-line projection lithography and the transition of processes to high-throughput production.
Experience with ultrasonic spray-coating systems and lithography on high-topology or 3D surfaces.
Proven success developing hybrid optical + e-beam workflows to ensure chemical compatibility and sub-50nm alignment precision.
Prior experience in Quantum, MEMS, or Photonics fabrication environments.
Why This Role?
Take technical command of one of the most complex modules in the quantum ecosystem, personally driving the process breakthroughs required for next-generation qubits.
Play a foundational role in transitioning Rigetti’s qubit production from a lab-scale process to a world-class manufacturing operation.
Serve as a lead technical voice in the fab, with a clear trajectory toward broader ownership of the lithography and metrology roadmap.
Work at the "tip of the spear" in quantum computing, collaborating with world-leading experts in one of the few dedicated quantum foundries on earth.
As engineering leaders, we value diversity and are committed to building a culture of inclusion to attract and engage innovative thinkers. Our technology, meant to serve all of humanity, cannot succeed if those who built it do not mirror the diversity of the communities we serve. Applications from women, minorities, and other under-represented groups are encouraged.
What We Do
Rigetti Computing is building the world’s most powerful computers to help solve humanity’s most pressing and important problems. These systems will perform computations that today’s fastest supercomputers are incapable of — unlocking entirely new classes of problems and offering a direct path to solutions. We believe quantum computing is going to significantly affect health care, how we treat disease, how we generate energy, and how we feed humanity. Our superconducting quantum computing systems are available over the cloud via Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services. We were founded in 2013 by Chad Rigetti. We are located in Berkeley and Fremont, California, and have employees based all over the world.
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