Staff Electrical Engineer, Control Systems [634]

About the role

D-Wave is seeking a Staff Electrical Engineer to join our Control Systems team and help develop cutting-edge control systems for quantum computing. You will work within the Control Systems team, in our state-of-the-art lab, alongside a multidisciplinary group building complex control systems for our quantum computing platforms.

As a Staff Electrical Engineer, you will lead the design, testing, and integration of electrical hardware systems supporting our quantum computing systems, working across disciplines to translate system-level requirements into robust, scalable implementations. This includes, but is not limited to, FPGA/embedded system validation, DC power system architecture, control systems power electronics, and PCB design and review in Altium. You will also collaborate closely with the embedded software engineering team on digital signal processing work supporting our control electronics.

This role is well suited to an engineer with strong individual technical ownership, along with a willingness to train and mentor more junior engineers.

What you'll do

• Define and drive technical direction for DC/RF control system architecture, influencing design decisions and standards across current and future hardware generations

• Design, develop, test, and characterize DC power networks, including DC filters and interconnects, from RF PCBs through system-level power electronics

• Characterize RF data converter (DAC/ADC) hardware used in high-speed signal sampling applications

• Develop validation plans, perform laboratory testing, troubleshoot technical issues, and implement design improvements

• Perform layout of DC and RF circuits using PCB design tools, while driving manufacturing of PCB hardware

• Collaborate with scientists, RF designers, and cross-functional engineering teams to integrate DC and RF circuits into our gate-model quantum computing platforms

• Manage and facilitate interactions with external contractors to support prototype development and production activities

• Contribute to continuous improvement of DC designs, test methodologies, and engineering processes

About You

• BS in Electrical Engineering with 6+ years of experience, or PhD in Applied Physics with 2+ years of relevant industry, research, or equivalent experience

• Strong knowledge of electrical systems engineering, including PCB design, power electronics, FPGA-based signal acquisition, Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS), and signal integrity

• Experience designing DC power systems at both the PCB and system level for control electronics

• Strong knowledge of digital hardware DACs/ADCs used in high-speed RF signal sampling applications

• Experience with electrical test equipment, including oscilloscopes, arbitrary waveform generators, time-domain reflectometers, vector network analyzers, and spectrum analyzers

• Experience with schematic capture, PCB design, and layout tools (e.g., Altium)

• Familiarity with I2C, SPI, and GPIO embedded circuit communication protocols

• Hands-on experience prototyping, debugging, and troubleshooting DC circuits (e.g., low-noise LDOs, buck converters, op-amp circuits, bias sequencing) associated with RF hardware and PCB assemblies

• Demonstrated experience ensuring product compliance with UL/CE regulations, including subsystem- and full-system-level compliance testing and approval

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills

A D-Waver's DNA

• We look at the future and say “why not”; we see possibilities where others see problems or routines. We show the way ahead and are committed to achieving ambitious goals.
• We practice straight talk and listen generously to each other with empathy. We value different opinions and points of views. We ensure that we connect outside as well as inside to learn from others and inspire each other.
• We hold ourselves accountable for delivering results. We make decisions & take responsibility so that we can act & support each other.
• As leaders we motivate & engage our teams to undertake beyond what they originally thought possible, by developing our teams & creating the conditions for people to grow and empower themselves through enabling & coaching.

Our Compensation Philosophy is Simple but Powerful:

We believe providing D-Wavers with company ownership, competitive pay, and a range of meaningful benefits is the start of creating a culture where people want to give the best they’ve got — not because they’re simply making money, but because they’ve fallen in love with our vision, mission, values, and team. 

During the interview process, your Recruiter will review our total rewards (base, equity, bonus, perks, benefit, culture) offerings. The final offer is determined by your proficiencies within this level.   

Inclusion: 

We celebrate diverse perspectives to drive innovation in our pursuit. Our employees range from distinguished domain experts with decades of experience in their respective fields, to bright and motivated graduates eager to make their mark. Our diverse and innovative team will make you feel appreciated, supported and empower your career growth at D-Wave.

The Fine Print: 

No 3rd party candidates will be accepted

It is D-Wave policy to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, local law. 

Job seekers should be aware of fraudulent job offers from online scammers and only apply to roles listed on D-Wave Careers site using our applicant system. Note: We do not use text messaging or third-party messaging apps to communicate with applicants and will never ask for fees or financial commitment, so please exercise caution if you are approached in this way. Authentic communications will come from an @dwavesys.com email.

For more information, please read our full Statement Regarding Job Recruiting Fraud Scams.

The base pay range for this role is: 

$155,000 – 212,000 USD (New Haven)