Chemicals Applications Lead

PsiQuantums mission is to build the first useful quantum computers: machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016 our singular focus has been to build and deploy million-qubit fault-tolerant quantum systems.

Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy pharmaceuticals finance agriculture transportation materials and other foundational industries.

Our architectureand approachisbased on silicon photonics. Byleveragingthe advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry including partners like GlobalFoundries we use the same high-volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photonsdontfeel heat are immune to electromagnetic interference and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure.

That approach has since been tested at the highest level of scrutiny the U.S. government applies to emerging technology and it has held 2025PsiQuantumclosed a$1 billionfunding round that valued the company at$7 2026 the U.S. Department of Commerce signed a $100 million Letter of Intent under the CHIPS and Science Act followed by a $125 million agreement with DARPA under Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking InitiativePsiQuantumsmost valuable U.S. government agreement to date. This year we also broke ground on our utility-scale quantum computer in Brisbane Australia and continued building out our Chicago site. Victor Peng our CEO and co-founder Jeremy OBrien now ExecutiveChairman lead a team and board that reflects how seriously the world is taking this build joined this year by Intels Lip-Bu Tan and Atomicos NiklasZennström.

PsiQuantumalso develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application software and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies includingAirbusLockheedMartin Mercedes-Benz Boehringer Ingelheim and Mitsubishi Chemical to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact.

Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. Itrepresentsa fundamental shift and a path to mastering challenges that cannot besolvedany other way. The potential is enormous and we now havethe fundingthe governmentvalidation andthe sitesunder construction to make it real.

Job Summary:

As the Chemicals Applications Lead you will work on PsiQuantums Industry Applications team to lead PsiQuantums work across the chemicals agrochemicals and catalysis sectors. You will work closely with PsiQuantums Business Development Algorithms Computational Methodology Product and Public Sector teams to identify where fault-tolerant quantum computing could improve chemicals R&D. You will turn the strongest technical opportunities into customer programs product requirements and application roadmaps.

The ideal candidate combines deep computational catalysis expertise with strong commercial judgment. You should be able to work backward from an industrial decision (e.g. which catalyst to synthesize what controls selectivity or what limits stability) to the underlying computational problem and determine whether quantum computing is the right tool to address specific use cases.

Responsibilities:

• Lead PsiQuantums computational catalysis work across chemicals and agrochemicals identifying and prioritizing use cases based on industrial relevance technical feasibility potential quantum advantage validation path and customer value.
• Translate industrial R&D questions and customer needs into clear computational specifications including target systems observables accuracy requirements baselines validation data and resource needs in partnership with electronic structure quantum algorithms ML compilation and product teams.
• Diagnose key sources of uncertainty in catalyst modeling (not limited to electronic structure sampling solvation thermodynamics kinetics and transport questions) helping to design workflows spanning classical pre- and post-processing quantum algorithms and emerging ML techniques.
• Stay current on emerging developments of ML-based simulation candidate generation and synthesis techniques for catalysis to inform PsiQuantum strategy and GTM plans (e.g. self-driving labs).
• Lead technical discovery and customer engagements with chemical and agrochemical companies catalyst and materials producers national laboratories academic groups and other technology partners; own selected customer programs from use-case definition through scope milestones validation risks and follow-on opportunities.
• Build business cases linking FTQC-derived accuracy improvements to R&D outcomes (e.g. reduced experimental iterations business value); provide market perspectives market sizing and revenue forecasts.
• Develop technical briefings proposals white papers and other customer-facing materials and represent PsiQuantum with scientific and executive audiences.

Experience/Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in computational/theoretical chemistry chemical engineering physical chemistry physics or a related field and 3 years of relevant experience in computational catalysis or industrial catalysis R&D.
• Deep expertise in at least one of homogeneous heterogeneous electro- or photocatalysis; broad familiarity across reaction mechanisms and catalyst modeling workflows; working knowledge of reaction pathways transition states free energies solvation finite-temperature effects and experimental validation.
• Strong understanding of electronic-structure methods and their limitations in catalysis particularly for transition metals open-shell or multireference system (bond breaking charge transfer); experience with MD and ideally MLIPs.
• Experience connecting computational results to real scientific or industrial decisions.
• Ability to lead ambiguous cross-functional technical programs and communicate effectively with scientists product teams commercial stakeholders and executives.
• Strong product and commercial judgment including the ability to compare technical approaches and assess where quantum computing does or does not add value.
• (Preferred): Experience translating technical capabilities into customer programs research partnerships product roadmaps or government-funded work.
• (Preferred) Familiarity with quantum algorithms or hybrid classical-quantum workflows is a plus

PsiQuantum provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. PsiQuantum does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race color religion sex (including pregnancy childbirth or related medical conditions) gender identity gender expression national origin ancestry citizenship age physical or mental disability military or veteran status marital status domestic partner status sexual orientation genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable laws.

Note: PsiQuantum will only reach out to you using an official PsiQuantum email address and will never ask you for bank account information as part of the interview process. Please report any suspicious activity to .

We are not accepting unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.

Base pay is one part of the total compensation package. Full-time roles are eligible for equity and compensation ranges reflect the cost of labor across multiple U.S. geographicmarkets and we pay based on defined geographic zones. This position may be filled withinone of the followingU.S. geographic zones each with its own salary range.

Actual compensation may vary outside of these ranges and is dependent onvarious factorsincluding but not limited to a candidates qualifications relevant education and training competencies experience geographic location business needs and internal equity. Your recruiter can share more details about the salary range applicable to your location during the hiring process.

• Zone 1- Bay Area and NYC

• Zone 2-Examples include LosAngelesandWashington DC

• Zone 3-Examples include Austin Chicagoand Sacramento

• Zone 4-Examples include Nashville and Phoenix/Tempe and manyremote locations

This position includes the following benefits: competitive health coverage for you and your dependents 401(k) with company match equity grants access to financial wellness tools and planning resources wellness benefits family support programs life and disability insurance paid leave programs company-designated paid holidays discretionary time off (DTO) and an end-of-year company shutdown. Some of these benefits have eligibility requirements and may vary based on location role or employment status. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.

The e s timated annual base salary rangefor this role is:

Zone 1

$182200 - $214100 USD

Zone 2

$164000 - $192700 USD

Zone 3

$145800 - $171300 USD

Zone 4

$127600 - $149900 USD