Laser Sales Manager – Photonics & Quantum Technologies

Position: Laser Sales Manager – Photonics & Quantum Technologies
Location: Rochester, NY (on-site preferred; must be within regular reach of the Rochester office)
Base Salary: $100,000–$150,000 plus uncapped commission
Benefits: 100% employer-paid medical premiums with funded HRA, dental, vision, 401(k) with 6% match
Start Date: ASAP (generally within 1–2 months)
Contact: Andrew Millar; andrew.millar@irisscientific.com; 647-205-7151

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 add an experienced Laser Sales Manager to their growing North American commercial team, based in Rochester, NY.

This is a technical sales role with real scientific substance - and real earning potential. The company's laser systems sit at the heart of the world's leading quantum computing, optical clock, and precision measurement programs, and demand is accelerating as quantum efforts scale from academic labs into commercial and government programs. The customer base runs from principal investigators at top research institutions and national labs to engineering and procurement teams at quantum and semiconductor companies. The selling is genuinely consultative: linewidth, stability, and power matched against demanding applications, in multi-stakeholder cycles that reward scientific credibility over scripted pitches.

We are looking for a proven technical salesperson with a physical sciences foundation. You've spent at least a couple of years carrying a territory or account base in photonics, lasers, optics, or scientific instrumentation - you know what a pipeline review feels like and you own your number without flinching - and you have the science background to hold a credible conversation with a physicist customer. An advanced degree (MSc or PhD) is preferred but not essential; a strong sales track record with a solid physical sciences foundation matters more. Direct quantum experience is a genuine plus, not a gate: if your customers have been research labs and technical buyers in an adjacent space, the company will invest in training you on the application space, including at their European headquarters.

The commercial platform is a strong one: a market-leading product line in one of photonics' fastest-growing verticals, a multi-million dollar territory potential, existing demand rather than a cold start, and an uncapped commission plan - the company's best performers earn more in commission than in base salary. Travel is a realistic 25–30%, varying month to month.

This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for someone who: wants their science background to be a commercial weapon rather than a footnote, 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 company's growth in the North American market. Operating in a tech-push environment, you'll own the full sales lifecycle across a diverse territory - identifying and developing opportunities across quantum computing, quantum sensing, and precision measurement, cultivating relationships from academic labs to commercial and government programs, and owning annual booking and revenue targets. You'll also act as the voice of the North American market, feeding customer insight and competitive intelligence back into product development, with ongoing technical training including visits to the company's European headquarters.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the full sales lifecycle for a North American territory, including complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles across academic, government, and commercial customers.
• Build and manage a disciplined pipeline against annual booking and revenue targets, with proactive prospecting into new accounts and programs.
• Act as the primary liaison between customer requirements and the company's engineering capabilities, identifying new opportunities and applications across the quantum and precision-measurement ecosystem.
• Travel to customer sites to demonstrate product capabilities, proving that system specifications - linewidth, stability, power - meet the demands of specific 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.
• Commit to continuous technical learning, including training visits to the European headquarters.

Key Requirements:

• 2+ years of demonstrated sales experience in photonics, lasers, optics, or scientific instrumentation - you have carried a territory, account base, or quota and can speak to your results.
• Degree in physics, photonics, optics, chemistry, engineering, or a closely related physical sciences field; an advanced degree (MSc or PhD) is preferred but not required.
• Experience selling to research-driven customers - universities, national labs, government programs, or technical/scientific buyers - strongly preferred.
• Exposure to quantum, AMO physics, or precision-measurement customers is a genuine advantage, but not required; strong candidates from adjacent photonics and instrumentation markets are encouraged to apply.
• Demonstrated ability to bridge scientific consulting and commercial value selling, with exceptional presentation skills.
• Highly organized, with strong CRM discipline and data literacy.
• Based within regular reach of Rochester, NY, or willing to relocate (relocation support available); fully remote arrangements are not available.
• Willingness to travel approximately 25–30% to customer sites across North America and periodically to Europe.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.