Quantum Datacenter Engineer

IBM
IBM

Tokyo, Japan · Yorktown Heights, NY, USA

Posted on Jun 27, 2026
Introduction

IBM is building what comes next in computing. As we scale our quantum computers, we are bringing them to customers and partners who want to host these systems in their own datacenters. As a Quantum Datacenter Engineer, you will be the bridge between IBM's quantum systems and the facilities that house them — working hands-on with customers and partners to assess their sites, adapt our reference architectures to their constraints, and guide the installation, commissioning, and operation of quantum systems in environments we don't control. You will work across architectural, infrastructural, and manufacturing processes, embedded with external partners, to make hosting a quantum computer practical, safe, and repeatable.

Your role and responsibilities

We seek a senior infrastructure engineer to serve as the forward-deployed technical lead for installing complex quantum systems — high-density water-cooled electronics, cryogenic quantum hardware, and the unique mechanical, electrical, and environmental constraints they carry — into customer and partner datacenters. You will translate IBM's reference architecture into a buildable plan for each site, navigating the trade spaces created by existing power, cooling, floor space, structural, and site constraints that vary from one datacenter to the next. You will assess site readiness, define the facility requirements a customer must meet, review and guide their build, and oversee bring-up and commissioning so that some of the most sensitive computational equipment in the world can run reliably outside our own walls. You will be a trusted advisor embedded with customer and partner teams throughout planning, design, build, and operations — and the voice that carries field insight back to IBM's internal hardware, facility, and product teams.

Hands-on experience with high-reliability critical infrastructure — including chilled water plants and distribution, redundant power systems, and specialized environmental controls in datacenter, manufacturing, or research environments — is a must, as is the ability to work credibly with external technical and executive stakeholders.

What you'll do
  • Assess customer and partner datacenters for their ability to host quantum systems — power, cooling, water, floor space, structural and mass-loading capacity, and site constraints — and produce clear site-readiness findings and gap analyses.
  • Translate IBM's quantum datacenter reference architecture into a site-specific installation plan, adapting it to each customer's existing infrastructure rather than a greenfield ideal.
  • Define the facility requirements customers must meet, and advise their engineering and construction teams on how to meet them cost-effectively and on schedule.
  • Review and appraise customer and partner build plans for compliance with IBM reference architecture, applicable codes, and reliability targets.
  • Oversee installation, bring-up, commissioning, and acceptance testing of mechanical, electrical, and cooling systems at customer sites, and validate readiness before quantum hardware comes online.
  • Develop partner-facing playbooks, deployment guides, and runbooks so that hosting an IBM quantum system becomes repeatable across many sites.
  • Serve as the customer's representative within IBM — conveying field constraints, deployment challenges, and optimization opportunities back to internal hardware, facility, and product teams.

Required education
Bachelor's Degree
Preferred education
Master's Degree
Required technical and professional expertise
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • Hands-on experience with high-reliability critical infrastructure including chilled water plants and distribution, redundant power systems, and specialized environmental controls in datacenter, manufacturing, or research environments.
  • Demonstrated experience working directly with engineering, vendor, and construction teams to build and commission complex systems.
  • Strong communication skills across both on-the-ground implementation and executive levels, internally and with customers and partners.
  • Willingness to travel to customer and partner sites [~20%].
Preferred technical and professional experience
  • Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, thermal sciences, fluid mechanics, systems engineering, or a related discipline.
  • Professional Engineer license, Chartered Engineer status, or comparable professional certification.
  • Experience deploying complex systems or unusual facility types into existing, third-party datacenters — adapting a reference design to constraints you don't control.
  • Experience standing up a new or unusual facility type, or standardizing a one-off build into a repeatable, scalable deployment.
  • Background in high-density or high-power-density data centers, or facilities with demanding/unusual cooling or power requirements.
  • Experience in a customer-facing or partner-facing technical role (solutions architecture, field/deployment engineering, owner's representative).
  • Experience in cryogenic or quantum systems is beneficial but not required.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Research is the organic growth engine of IBM and an innovation engine for our customers and partners. As part of this mission, IBM Research anticipates and examines 'What's Next in Computing' to ultimately create and integrate the technologies the world relies upon to solve big challenges and unlock new opportunities. We create and pioneer new markets for IBM, our partners and customers as exemplified in our ongoing quest to reach practical and large-scale quantum computing. Across IBM Research, we realize the power and potential to accelerate discovery with our partners and clients by combining the power of high performance computing, AI, and Quantum, all integrated through the hybrid cloud.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

- Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being

- Financial programs such as 401(k), cash balance pension plan, the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs

- Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law

- Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals

- Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.