Laser Sales Manager – Quantum Technologies

Position: Laser Sales Manager Quantum Technologies
Location: Rochester NY (on-site preferred; must be within regular reach of the Rochester office; relocation support available)
Base Salary: $100000$150000 (dependent on experience) plus uncapped commissions
Benefits: 100% employer-paid medical premiums with funded HRA dental vision 401(k) with 6% match
Start Date: ASAP (generally within 12 months)
Contact: Andrew Millar; ;

Iris Scientific is a specialty recruitment agency laser-focused on sales marketing and applications roles across the North American scientific instrumentation industry. We are working with a world-leading manufacturer of advanced laser systems to find a Laser Sales Manager for their North American commercial team based in Rochester NY.

This is a technical sales role built around one of photonics fastest-growing markets: quantum. The companys laser systems are at the heart of the worlds leading quantum computing quantum sensing and optical clock programs providing the precision light used to manipulate atoms and ions push gate fidelities and scale qubit counts. As quantum efforts move from academic labs into commercial and government programs this role owns that growth in North America. The customer base runs from principal investigators in top-tier AMO and quantum optics labs to engineering and procurement teams at quantum computing companies and national labs and the selling is genuinely technical: linewidth stability and power matched against demanding applications in sales cycles that reward scientific credibility over scripted pitches.

There are two profiles that succeed in this role and were open to both.

The first is a recent PhD or MSc in quantum optics AMO physics or a related field who has decided the traditional academic route isnt for them someone who lights up explaining their work to people outside their field and wants to build a commercial career on a foundation of real scientific credibility. Prior sales experience is not required; the science is the harder thing to teach.

The second is an early-career salesperson from photonics lasers or the broader quantum ecosystem roughly two to five years carrying a territory ready to step into a higher-consequence longer-cycle sale with the market-leading product line in the space.

Just as important as the background is the bridge: the ability to move between scientific consulting and commercial value selling to hold a credible technical conversation with a quantum PI in the morning and build a financially sound proposal for a procurement team in the afternoon.

This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for someone who: wants their technical depth to drive commercial outcomes is energized by owning a territory and a number and wants a front-row seat as quantum technology moves from the optical table to the real world.

If this sounds like you please get in touch.

About the Role:

As Laser Sales Manager you will be a driving force behind the companys growth in the North American quantum market. Operating in a tech-push environment youll manage the full sales lifecycle across a diverse territory identifying new opportunities across quantum computing quantum sensing and precision measurement cultivating relationships from academic labs to commercial quantum programs and owning annual booking and revenue targets. Youll also act as the voice of the North American market feeding customer insight and competitive intelligence back into product development and youll receive ongoing technical training including visits to the companys European headquarters.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the full sales lifecycle for a North American territory including complex multi-stakeholder sales cycles across academic government and commercial quantum customers.
• Act as the primary liaison between customer requirements and the companys engineering capabilities identifying new opportunities and applications across the quantum ecosystem.
• Travel to customer sites to demonstrate product capabilities proving that system specifications linewidth stability power meet the demands of specific quantum applications.
• Work with leadership to shape North American sales strategy using market data to identify emerging opportunities as quantum programs scale from research to deployment.
• Gather insight on emerging scientific trends and competitor activity to help shape the future product roadmap.
• Meet annual booking and revenue targets through proactive pipeline management and disciplined sales activity.
• Commit to continuous technical learning including training visits to the European headquarters.

Key Requirements:

• PhD or MSc in physics photonics optics or a closely related field.
• Either:
• A strong scientific background in quantum optics AMO physics laser spectroscopy or an adjacent field with clear commercial instincts and communication strength
• OR
• 25 years of sales experience in photonics lasers or scientific instrumentation ideally selling into quantum atomic physics or precision-measurement customers.

• Demonstrated ability to bridge scientific consulting and commercial value selling.
• Exceptional presentation skills with the ability to distill complex technical concepts into clear value propositions.
• Highly organized with strong CRM discipline and data literacy.
• Based within regular reach of Rochester NY or willing to relocate; fully remote arrangements are not available.
• Willingness to travel to customer sites across North America and periodically to Europe (25-30% travel).

• Must be authorized to work in the United States - citizenship OR green card strongly preferred

Required Experience:

Manager