Senior Program Manager (Research Programs)

About the role

D-Wave is seeking a Senior Program Manager to support a portfolio of research programsacross the company. This role works closely with scientists, technical leaders, and external collaborators to plan and coordinate complex research initiatives spanning quantum hardware, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other emerging technology areas.

You willprimarilysupport both internal research programs, helping teams define plans, coordinate resources, manage dependencies, track progress, and communicateoutcomes.Work spansexperimentalsoftware andhardware development and testing. It may also involvemanagingjoint initiatives with universities, national laboratories, industry partners, and other research organizations.

Success in this role requires the ability tobring structure to ambiguity, enabling informed tradeoffs, andmaintainingmomentum toward milestones as plans evolve.The ideal candidate combines strong program management fundamentals with the ability to work effectively in highly technical environments.

What you'll do

• Plan, coordinate, and track research and technology development programs from initiation through execution, ensuring clearobjectives, milestones, deliverables, and timelines.

• Partnerwith scientistsand technical leaders to develop execution plans, resource requirements, schedules, and success criteria for research initiatives.

• Represent business priorities in communication with researchers, ensuring that research directionsalign with corporateobjectives.

• Drive delivery in environments with technical uncertainty, adapting plans whilemaintainingprogress toward milestones.

• Identifyand manage risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and schedule impacts proactively.

• Coordinateshared technical resources, including laboratory infrastructure, testing schedules, fabrication activities, equipmentutilization, and other critical program dependencies.

• Support cross-functional alignment across research, engineering, product, and operations teams on priorities and deliverables.

• Facilitate collaboration with external research partners, including universities, national laboratories, industry collaborators, technology partners, and research consortia.

• Coordinate technical exchange meetings, program reviews, workshops, and other activities that support joint researchobjectives.

• Develop andmaintainprogram documentation, including project plans, action items, milestone tracking, decision logs, status reports, and executive updates.

• Prepare clear updates for stakeholders on progress, risks, decisions, and overall program health.

• Improveprogram management processes, tools, and reporting practicestoincrease efficiency, visibility, and execution effectiveness.

• Conduct post-project reviews andcapturelessonslearned to support continuous improvement.

About You

• 5+ years of experience supporting scientific research, advanced technology development, engineering programs, or highly technical cross-functional initiatives.

• Proven ability to develop project plans, coordinate stakeholders, manage execution, and deliver results in dynamic environments.

• Experience managing schedules, dependencies, risks, resource planning, and competing priorities across multiple initiatives.

• Strong ability to influence and work effectively with highly technical stakeholderswithout formal authority.

• Excellentorganizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities.

• Strongwritten and verbal communication skills, includingexecutive reporting and technical documentation.

• Ability to learnnewtechnical concepts andwork effectively with subject matter experts.

• Experience with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, or similar platforms.

• Comfortoperatingin evolving,research-driven environmentswhereoutcomesare uncertain, andensuring expectations are aligned.

Bonus points for:

• Advanced degree in physics, math,engineering,or computer science.

• Experience in quantum computing, quantum hardware, AI/ML, advanced computing, semiconductor technologies, or related areas.

• Experiencecoordinating resource-constrainedR&D efforts.

• Experience coordinating research partnerships involving universities, national laboratories, industry consortia, government research organizations, or external technology collaborators.