Description
At Rigetti, our mission is to build the world's most powerful computers to solve the world's most challenging problems.
We are seeking a Senior Software Engineering Manager to head the team responsible for software systems that enable the creation, delivery and maintenance of Rigetti's quantum computers. This includes systems for device design, chip fabrication workflows, physics-informed data analysis, quantum gate-design, and quantum mitigation and error correction technologies.
As a Senior Software Engineering Manager, you will lead the team responsible for software platforms that enable the design, fabrication, characterization, and measurement of Rigetti's quantum systems – with a strong emphasis on integrating into the engineering process.
Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Organizational Development
- Lead and mentor a cross-functional software engineering team spanning scientific tooling, analytics infrastructure, and fabrication-support systems.
- Create stronger operational rigor around prioritization, execution, accountability, and project delivery.
- Provide coaching, growth support, feedback, and career development for engineers across varying levels of seniority.
- Help establish healthy engineering culture, team norms, and stronger collaboration practices.
Technical & Engineering Leadership
- Partner closely with engineers to drive execution across scientific computing, fabrication tooling, analytics systems, and workflow automation.
- Support development of internal tooling and data systems that connect design, fabrication, and device performance workflows.
- Help modernize and operationalize internal tooling that has historically evolved organically through research and prototyping efforts.
Cross-functional Collaboration
- Work closely with quantum engineers, physicists, fabrication engineers, and hardware teams to understand operational pain points and evolving workflow requirements.
- Help balance competing stakeholder requests while improving prioritization discipline and long-term planning.
Operational & Strategic Impact
- Help transition the team from highly reactive support work toward more proactive engineering planning and scalable systems development.
- Improve processes around technical debt management, prototype ownership, platform sustainability, and operational support models.
Qualifications
- BS or equivalent degree in Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or related field; MS or PhD a plus.
- 7+ years of software engineering experience, including 2+ years in a people leadership role, whether formal management or equivalent tech lead capacity.
- Demonstrated experience building data systems, ideally in scientific computing or physics-informed models.
- Proficiency in Python; familiarity with JavaScript or TypeScript.
- Proficiency with AWS for development and production deployment and distributed computing.
Nice-to-Have
- Knowledge of quantum device physics, such as superconducting qubits, trapped ions, photonics, or quantum information science.
- Familiarity with fabrication processes in semiconductor, quantum, or other hardware/lab-based environments.