Sr. Manager, Equipment Engineering

About the RoleRigetti Computing is seeking a hands-on, technically driven Senior Manager of Equipment to support our wafer fabrication facility in Fremont. In this role, you’ll ensure the reliability and safety of a complex R&D environment that includes many fabrication tools spanning high-vacuum deposition, lithography, etch, packaging and metrology areas.
You’ll oversee fab equipment operations and maintenance, manage hazardous materials and waste handling, and partner with facilities and EHS teams to maintain a safe, compliant, and high-performing environment. You will collaborate closely with fabrication engineers to understand tool requirements and with engineering operations to ensure alignment between process and infrastructure systems.
We’re looking for someone who is data-driven and approaches problems systematically. You understand how individual tools, facilities systems, and processes connect, and use maintenance data and metrics to anticipate issues before they arise. This is a highly technical, hands-on role suited for someone who thrives in the details - debugging complex systems, planning upgrades, and working cross-functionally to keep the Fab running at peak performance.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the upkeep, maintenance, and uptime of fabrication equipment, including high-vacuum deposition, lithography, plasma etch, packaging and metrology tools.
• Diagnose and resolve equipment issues; coordinate repairs, perform preventive maintenance, and upgrades with internal teams and external vendors.
• Oversee hazardous materials and chemical waste handling, ensuring compliance with all local and federal regulations.
• Interface directly with the City of Fremont and the Union Sanitary District and EHS consultants on permitting, inspections, and reporting.
• Support facility infrastructure systems tied to Fab operations such as process cooling water, exhaust, compressed air, and power distribution.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Fabrication, Facilities, Engineering Operations, and EHS teams to plan and prioritize maintenance and expansion projects.
• Contribute to the design and installation of new tools and infrastructure as the Fab grows.

What You’ll Bring

• 10+ years of experience in equipment maintenance or similar technical roles within semiconductor, MEMS, or other industrial manufacturing environments.
• Deep hands-on experience maintaining and troubleshooting high-vacuum, plasma etching, cryogenic,  and/or laser-based systems.
• Strong familiarity with hazardous materials management and environmental compliance requirements.
• Experience managing and developing capable, experienced equipment technicians, ensuring clear communication, task prioritization, and technical excellence across day-to-day operations.
• Proven ability to collaborate across disciplines, including fabrication, facilities, and engineering operations, to deliver reliable and compliant systems.
• Experience managing vendors, contractors, and external agencies to ensure timely, high-quality, and compliant execution of maintenance and infrastructure work. 
• A data-driven mindset - you’re skilled at tracking and interpreting equipment data, maintenance logs, and performance trends to inform preventive maintenance and long-term planning.
• Systems-level thinking - you understand how tools, infrastructure, and process environments interact, and anticipate downstream impacts of technical changes.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical findings into actionable plans.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in semiconductor or R&D fab environments.
• Exposure to preventive maintenance or equipment data-collection systems.
• Knowledge and experience working with local permitting and regulatory agencies (e.g., Union Sanitary District, OSHA, EPA).

As engineering leaders, we value diversity and are committed to building a culture of inclusion to attract and engage innovative thinkers. Our technology, meant to serve all of humanity, cannot succeed if those who built it do not mirror the diversity of the communities we serve. Applications from women, minorities, and other under-represented groups are encouraged.

About RigettiRigetti Computing is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. The company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides ultra-low latency integration with public and private clouds for high-performance practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum pr