Laser Sales Manager – Quantum Technologies

Position: Laser Sales Manager – Quantum Technologies
Location: Rochester, NY (on-site preferred, relocation available; must be within regular reach of the Rochester office - Boston-based candidates with exceptional quantum sales experience will be considered)
Base Salary: $100,000–$150,000 plus uncapped commission; placement within the range reflects quantum sales experience
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 a Laser Sales Manager to their growing North American commercial team, based in Rochester, NY, focused on the commercial quantum technology market.

The commercial quantum market is fast-moving and relationship-driven, concentrated in the eastern United States - Boston, Washington, DC, and the corridors between. This company’s lasers are designed into the leading platforms, the customers know the company well, and demand is outgrowing the current coverage. You would inherit established accounts and build new ones of your own.

This is a technical sales role with real scientific substance and real earning potential. The selling is consultative and engineering-intensive - linewidth, stability, power, and integration matched against demanding system requirements - and the customers expect fast, knowledgeable responses from someone who understands why they are asking.

We are looking for someone who already sells into the quantum ecosystem, or sits right next to it. Ideally you hold a master’s degree in a quantum-related field and have two to five years of sales experience with lasers, photonics, control electronics, or instrumentation into quantum or precision-measurement customers. We are equally interested in candidates with a bachelor’s degree and a strong track record of quantum-market selling - demonstrated results with these customers matter more than the letters after your name.

What the hiring manager values most is harder to list on a resume: curiosity about why a customer has the problem they have, a strong drive to learn, the ability to teach - to explain clearly what will and won’t work - humility and coachability, and a genuine willingness to go out and hunt. The role is roughly half business development and half key account management.

The commercial platform is a strong one: a market-leading product line in one of photonics’ fastest-growing verticals, an established and growing territory with multi-million dollar potential, major existing customers, 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.

If this sounds like you – please get in touch.

About the Role:

As Laser Sales Manager for commercial quantum accounts, you will own the relationship between the company and the quantum industry’s engineering, procurement, and leadership teams across the eastern United States. You will manage an established set of accounts while prospecting into new quantum programs, owning annual booking and revenue targets, and acting as the voice of the North American quantum market back into product development. Ongoing technical training includes visits to the company’s European headquarters.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the full sales lifecycle for commercial quantum accounts across the eastern United States, including complex, multi-stakeholder, design-in sales cycles.
• Manage and grow an established set of key accounts, with the rapid, knowledgeable response those customers expect.
• Prospect and develop new business across the quantum computing, sensing, and networking ecosystem - roughly half of the role is hunting.
• Act as the primary liaison between customer requirements and the company’s engineering and applications teams, identifying new opportunities as quantum platforms move from research to deployment.
• Travel to customer sites to understand applications and demonstrate that system specifications meet their requirements.
• Feed market insight and competitive intelligence back to leadership to shape North American quantum strategy and the product roadmap.
• Commit to continuous technical learning, including training at the European headquarters.

Key Requirements:

• 2–5+ years of sales experience with lasers, photonics, control electronics, cryogenics, or scientific instrumentation - with a track record selling to quantum or precision-measurement customers strongly preferred.
• A degree in physics, photonics, optics, engineering, or a closely related field. A master’s degree in a quantum-related area is ideal; a bachelor’s degree is acceptable with demonstrated quantum sales results.
• Familiarity with the commercial quantum ecosystem - the companies, platforms, and buying teams - or the ability to build it fast.
• A relationship-driven, responsive selling style: customers in this market expect to be understood and answered quickly.
• Demonstrated ability to bridge scientific consulting and commercial value selling, with clear and credible technical communication.
• Highly organized, with strong CRM discipline and data literacy.
• Based within regular reach of Rochester, NY, or willing to relocate (relocation support available). Boston-based candidates with exceptional quantum sales experience may be considered. Fully remote arrangements are not available.
• Willingness to travel approximately 25–30% across the eastern United States, with periodic trips to Europe.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.