Head of R&D Project Manager Office

Available position

Head of R&D Project Manager Office
(permanent position, 40 hour per week)

Contact : (819) 975-4654, career@nordquantique.ca

Summary

Nord Quantique is building its first Project Management Office (PMO) to support and scale the execution of our scientific roadmap. As the inaugural Head of R&D PMO, you will lay the foundations of a lightweight, research-adapted project management function — starting hands-on with coordination of active projects and progressively designing the structures, processes, and tools that will support our growing organization. This is a unique opportunity to shape how a deep-tech company executes R&D at scale.

About Nord Quantique

At Nord Quantique, we strive to build impactful technology by relentlessly pushing our understanding of quantum science. We are an interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, innovators, builders, and enthusiasts on a mission to make quantum computing a reality. Our quantum processors are designed to reduce errors in quantum computation to facilitate long-term scaling toward fully-fledged quantum computers. We believe it is our responsibility to deliver this transformative technology for the greater good of society.

Located at the heart of the beautiful Eastern Townships region in the province of Quebec, Canada, we develop our technology in the vibrant quantum ecosystem of Sherbrooke. Leaning on more than a decade of vertical integration of quantum hardware, we are leveraging a comprehensive pool of quantum technology and micro-electronic infrastructure to deploy our quantum computing technology

Salary : $120,000 – S140,000
Benefits : 5 weeks of vacation, group insurance (including dental care), virtual care, lifestyle spending account (all available after 3 months of service)

Supervisor : HTechnical Program Manager
Subordinate: None initially

Our Current Needs

As our R&D organization grows in size and complexity, we are establishing a dedicated Project Management Office to ensure that teams can operate with clarity, alignment, and efficiency. While reporting structures and project-management practices already exist at Nord Quantique, they will naturally evolve as the company expands and the scope of our research programs increases. We are seeking a Head of R&D PMO to help guide this evolution and build a cohesive, research-adapted execution framework for the years ahead.

In the first phase, the selected candidate will work hands-on with technical leads across all R&D teams to coordinate priorities, track project milestones, identify bottlenecks, and support day-to-day execution. This phase is essential for building rapport, understanding the needs and constraints of each team, and supporting researchers in a dynamic scientific environment.

Over time, this role will shift toward designing, implementing, and scaling a project- and program-management framework tailored to exploratory R&D. This includes establishing communication cadences, defining templates and processes, introducing lightweight reporting structures, and contributing to cross-team planning.

As the PMO grows, the selected candidate will contribute to hiring, mentoring, and onboarding additional PMs, and help shape the operational foundation that will support Nord Quantique’s long-term scientific roadmap.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys enabling technical teams to do their best work, who can design structure without rigidity, and who is motivated by building the operational backbone of a fast-evolving deep-tech organization.

Working in close collaboration with technical and management staff at Nord Quantique, the chosen candidate will :

• Coordinate project timelines, deliverables, and internal milestones across multiple R&D teams
• Maintain clarity on priorities and dependencies within fast-moving research programs
• Support technical leads with planning, resource coordination, and definition of milestones
• Facilitate cross-team communication and alignment
• Maintain internal documentation and support leadership reporting
• Identify execution bottlenecks and help remove obstacles
• Design and roll out a lightweight, research-adapted project- and program-management framework
• Define communication cadences, dashboards, and decision-making pathways
• Contribute to organizational planning and cross-team coordination processes
• Support future hiring and mentoring of PM staff as the PMO expands
• Help maintain a positive, inclusive, and focused team culture

Education and experience requirements :

Required :

• Master’s degree in engineering, physics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in project management, program management, or PMO-building
• Experience supporting technical, scientific, or engineering teams

Preferred

• Experience designing or improving execution frameworks or processes
• Experience building or scaling PMO or program-management structures
• Experience in deep-tech, quantum, hardware, or advanced R&D settings
• Familiarity with project-management frameworks (agile, hybrid, or research-adapted) and tools (Asana, ClickUp, Notion, etc.)

We welcome candidates with diverse academic and professional trajectories.

Sought expertise and knowledge :

• Excellent documentation practices
• Ability to enable change-management activities within growing teams
• Intermediate or higher level of French is an asset

Sought profile :

• Strong communication skills
• Organized and reliable, with a proactive approach to execution
• Collaborative and empathetic, with an interest in team wellbeing
• Ability to prioritize tasks and coordinate multiple cross-functional team projects
• Excellent adaptability
• Ability to bring structure to ambiguity
• Skilled at building strong working relationships across technical and non-technical teams
• Motivated by supporting innovation and enabling people to focus on what they do best

Nord Quantique is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in its training, workplaces, and activities. We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and traditionally marginalized groups.

Working language : English and/or French
Workplace : Espace Quantique 1, 1950 rue Roy, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 1B7
Contact: (819) 975-4654, career@nordquantique.ca