VP Marketing - Product & Technical Marketing

Quandela is a global leader in quantum computing, designing, building, and delivering cutting-edge quantum solutions for research and industry. Its offerings include energy-efficient quantum computers for data centers, full-stack quantum computing solutions accessible via the cloud, and algorithm access services for academic and industrial customers. Following a pragmatic, step-by-step roadmap, Quandela has been deploying industrial-grade systems since 2023 while developing future generations of fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of scaling through the integration of thousands of photonic components. Quandela is committed to making quantum computing accessible to all in order to address the most complex industrial and societal challenges. Learn more at: Quandela | Leading Photonic Quantum Computing Solutions We operate in an emerging industry where market evangelization, long sales cycles (2–4 years), and strategic account nurturing are critical. Our ambition is to make quantum computing a practical resource for research and industry. Bringing this technology to market requires a clear understanding of its capabilities, the problems customers are exploring, and the steps that connect experimentation to long-term adoption. Requirements As we scale internationally, we are looking for a VP Marketing with an engineering degree and prior experience as a Product Engineer, who has subsequently built a successful career in technical product marketing and marketing leadership. This is an opportunity to shape how a complex technology is understood, evaluated and adopted, while building the marketing organization that supports Quandela’s next phase of growth. Key responsibilities 1. Product positioning and technical storytelling • Own Quandela’s positioning and messaging architecture across the company and its product portfolio. • Build clear, evidence-based answers to “Why quantum? Why photonics? Why Quandela?”, adapted to different audiences and stages of adoption. • Translate technical capabilities into customer value propositions for HPC centers, research institutions, enterprise technology leaders and public-sector stakeholders. • Ensure marketing claims and proof points are validated with Product, Engineering and Science teams, clearly distinguishing available capabilities from future roadmap ambitions. • Maintain consistent messaging across product materials, executive presentations, campaigns, customer engagements and partner communications. • Preserve the technical differentiation of each offering while explaining the value of Quandela’s integrated approach 2. Product launches and go-to-market execution • Lead marketing planning and execution for product launches and major technology milestones, in close partnership with Product Management and technical leaders. • Define launch audiences, positioning, supporting evidence, content, channel plans and commercial activation. • Align Sales, Product, Marketing and communications contributors around launch readiness and delivery. • Develop repeatable go-to-market playbooks for priority customer segments, use cases and geographies. • Adapt messaging to different buying motivations, technical maturity levels and procurement environments. • Feed customer and market insights into product strategy and roadmap discussions. 3. Competitive intelligence and sales enablement • Establish a structured view of the quantum computing and adjacent advanced computing landscapes. • Assess competing approaches, product announcements, benchmarks and market claims with internal technical experts. • Translate this intelligence into differentiated positioning, competitive battlecards and practical objection-handling materials. • Equip Sales with customer presentations, technical explainers, use-case materials, case studies and executive conversation frameworks. • Help commercial teams explain where Quandela creates value, which customer needs it can address, and how to substantiate those claims. • Gather feedback from customer conversations and win/loss reviews to refine messaging and commercial readiness. 4. Enterprise demand generation and Account-Based Marketing • Own marketing’s contribution to qualified enterprise pipeline, working closely with Sales on shared definitions, priorities and measurement. • Define ideal customer profiles, buying committees and account segmentation across priority markets. • Build and execute ABM programs for a defined universe of strategic accounts. • Design sustained engagement programs suited to complex buying processes and multi-year sales cycles. • Connect technical content, demonstrations, events, partner activities and targeted campaigns into coherent customer journeys. • Support progression from initial exploration to experimentation, evaluation and strategic investment. You should be comfortable developing content, preparing a launch or activating a campaign yourself when needed. 5. International visibility, market education and ecosystem development • Build Quandela’s visibility and credibility across quantum computing, HPC and industrial technology ecosystems. • Lead an integrated approach to thought leadership, PR, technical content and events. • Develop educational content that helps customers understand quantum computing’s opportunities, current capabilities and adoption pathways. • Adapt campaigns and messaging for Europe, North America and Asia while maintaining a consistent core positioning. • Develop joint marketing initiatives with relevant technology, cloud, HPC and ecosystem partners. • Ensure events have clear account engagement objectives, structured follow-up and measurable outcomes. 6. Marketing operations and performance • Establish effective segmentation, nurturing, lead qualification and lifecycle tracking, in coordination with Sales. • Build reporting that connects marketing activity to account engagement, qualified opportunities and pipeline progression. • Distinguish marketing-sourced and marketing-influenced pipeline through clear attribution rules. • Manage budgets and external partners, allocating resources against commercial priorities. • Use performance data and customer feedback to continuously improve programs. 7. Team leadership and organizational development • Lead and develop the existing Product Marketing Specialist and Event Specialist. • Define the marketing organization’s hiring priorities as the company grows. • Build the appropriate balance of internal capabilities and external expertise. • Establish effective working practices with Sales, Product, Engineering and executive leadership. • Combine strategic direction with hands-on execution in a small, growing team. Your background Essential qualifications • An engineering degree is required — a French diplôme d’ingénieur or an internationally equivalent university degree in engineering, in a relevant discipline such as electronic, photonics or systems engineering. • Prior professional experience as a Product Engineer is required, with direct involvement in developing, validating or industrializing a technically complex product. You must be able to demonstrate substantive engineering responsibilities before moving into product marketing. • A subsequent track record in technical product marketing and broader marketing leadership, connecting engineering understanding with customer needs, positioning and commercial execution. • At least 10 years of relevant B2B technology marketing experience, including significant ownership of product positioning, launches and go-to-market programs. • Proven experience leading a marketing function or a substantial marketing team, with responsibility for strategy, people, budgets and outcomes. • Experience marketing complex products to enterprise customers through long sales cycles and multiple technical and business stakeholders. • Demonstrated ability to turn complex technical subjects into cl