(Senior) Field Application Engineer - Photonic AI Acceleration (f/m/d)

The future of AI computing is light, not electrons. Q.ANT is building photonic processing systems that compute with light – delivering a scalable, energy-efficient alternative to transistor-based architectures for next-generation AI and HPC applications. 
 
As Field Application Engineer - Photonic AI Acceleration (f/m/d), you will be the technical bridge between Q.ANT's cutting-edge photonic computing technology and its users. You'll support the development and assembly of photonic servers in the initial phase, gaining deep technical expertise in system design and performance. As production scales, you'll evolve into the primary technical contact for customers – providing training, integration support, and ensuring successful deployment of Q.ANT's Native Processing Servers in real-world applications.

What You Will Do: 

• Support R&D team in development and assembly of photonic servers, building deep expertise in optical, electrical, and thermal system characteristics
• Act as primary technical interface for customers, providing pre- and post-sales support, training, and troubleshooting for photonic computing systems
• Create technical documentation, application notes, setup guides, and training materials for internal teams and customers
• Provide structured feedback from field experience to R&D and production teams to improve system reliability, performance, and usability
• Coordinate cross-functionally with R&D, sales, and operations to align product development with customer needs
• Manage customer projects from technical specification through successful integration and deployment
• Represent Q.ANT at trade shows, conferences, and customer meetings as the technical voice of the company

• About 2 to 5 years of experience in customer-facing technical roles (e.g., Field Application Engineer, Support Engineer, Sales Engineer, Technical Consultant)
• Solid understanding and hands-on experience with optoelectronic systems, HPC hardware, or embedded systems.
• Experience with system assembly, testing, and troubleshooting using standard lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, optical measurement tools)
• Proven ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences
• Experience creating training materials, webinars, or technical enablement content
• Fluent in English; German or another European language is a plus
• Willingness to travel (initially ~10% during product development phase, increasing to up to 40% during customer deployment phase for trade shows, customer sites, conferences)
• Prior experience in a startup or early-stage venture with an unproven product and familiarity with AI/ML workloads or HPC applications are a plus

• Make impact at scale: Help solve one of computing's biggest challenges - making growing demand in compute and sustainability go hand in hand
• Work on the leading edge: Photonic AI acceleration technologies that will define the next decade of computing - already validated in production HPC environments
• Own your work from day one: Broad autonomy and decision authority with direct impact on product success and the future of AI infrastructure
• Fast-track your growth: Work on challenges with few industry precedents - every problem you solve becomes new institutional knowledge and potentially industry-defining IP
• World-class team: Collaborate alongside a passionate, international, cross-functional team of experts in photonics, processor design, and AI systems
• Direct access to leadership: Work closely with the company's founders, including CEO Dr. Michael Förtsch, and advisory board members who shaped the semiconductor industry (ARM, Intel, Infineon)
• Collaborative culture: Innovative work environment that values technical excellence, open communication, and pragmatic problem-solving
• Be part of history: Join at the inflection point where photonic computing transitions from research to mainstream—your contributions will shape this transformation

 
If you're energized by bridging cutting-edge technology and customer applications, solving complex integration challenges, and enabling customers to succeed with photonic AI acceleration, we want to hear from you.
 
Ready to become the technical voice of photonic computing? Let's talk - we're looking forward to your application!
 
Q.ANT is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Who we are and what we do

Q.ANT is a photonic deep-tech scale-up developing photonic processing solutions that compute natively with light and deliver a scalable alternative to transistor-based systems. Its Light Empowered Native Arithmetics (LENA) architecture delivers analog co-processing power optimised for complex computation and enabling energy-efficient performance for next-generation AI and HPC applications. Q.ANT operates its own Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) chip pilot line in collaboration with the Institute for Microelectronics Stuttgart, IMS CHIPS, and is currently shipping its Native Processing Servers to selected partners. Q.ANT was founded by Michael Förtsch in 2018 and is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.