Head of Sales at c12qe

Founded in 2020 and based in the heart of Paris, C12’s mission is to be at the center of one of the biggest technological breakthroughs of the century and change the course of history by building a universal quantum computer. At C12, we believe that achieving a true breakthrough in quantum computing requires rethinking the fundamentals. That’s why our founders—deeply rooted in academic and engineering excellence—have chosen carbon nanotubes as the building blocks of our quantum processors. This ultra-pure material dramatically reduces error rates, boosts performance, and minimizes hardware overhead—key ingredients for scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing. By crafting a unique approach that scales, we aim to revolutionize quantum computing just as silicon transformed classical computing. Since our founding, we’ve raised over €25 million in funding, published 11 scientific papers, and secured 8 patents. Today, our fast-growing team of 60, including 20 PhDs, has over 20 nationalities represented. We have our own cutting-edge lab spaces in Paris' historic Panthéon district, where scientists, engineers, and innovators work side-by-side to tackle some of the most exciting technical challenges of our time. If you're passionate about shaping the future of quantum technology and want to make a real impact, C12 offers a unique environment to grow, learn, and innovate. Your role at C12 Quantum Electronics • As Head of Sales, reporting directly to the CEO, you will join us at a pivotal moment in our growth: scaling founder-led revenue across heterogeneous channels. We are a quantum computing company with existing revenue and active contracts with industrial groups and defence organisations. Sales today are founder-led and span services and long-term hardware programs. We are now hiring a senior commercial leader to take ownership of revenue growth, structure and professionalize our sales motion, and lead complex, high-credibility sales across industry, defence, and public markets. You will work closely with the CEO and technical leadership to translate deep scientific innovation into credible commercial narratives, and to turn early traction into a repeatable commercial engine without compromising our scientific ambition. Your key responsibilities will include: • Owning end-to-end sales motions, from initial discovery through alignment and closing • Leading customer discovery and translate customer pain points into compelling commercial narratives and structured offers, grounded in our technical capabilities and competitive advantages • Driving technical and commercial alignment with customers, sometimes years ahead of delivery • Moving opportunities forward in long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles • Maintaining disciplined pipeline management and forecasting, tracking all touchpoints and follow-ups in CRM tools • Attending industry fairs, conferences, and targeted networking events to generate leads and nurture strategic relationships • Acting as a bridge between science, engineering, and commercial reality, working cross-functionally with engineering, product, and R&D to ensure customer needs are understood and acted upon • Brainstorming, iterating, and co-developing go-to-market strategy and long-term business direction with the CEO About you: • You have 8-10 years owning and closing complex, technical sales • You are comfortable operating in environments with long sales cycles and political buying processes • You are able to sell evolving technology with credibility, transparency, and confidence • You are a strong communicator; able to engage effectively with engineers, researchers, executives, and procurement stakeholders • You are fluent in French & in English What we offer: • Stock options for every employee (BSPCE/ESOP) • Two incredible office spaces in the heart of Paris • Sponsored trip to conferences around the world • A highly dynamic international team • Swile meal vouchers • Vibrant office culture (team lunches, offsite events, Friday breakfasts..) • Mental health support with moka.care • Training budget/ Annual Learning & Development Allowance • Sabbatical leave (after 2 years in the company) You should join us if... You want to contribute to achieving landmark results in quantum computing, making a difference in the emerging quantum technologies You want to work within a 60-people team with various backgrounds in nanofabrication, quantum electronics, and carbon nanotube science to create a revolutionary quantum computing processor You want to thrive in an exceptional scientific environment with several industrial and academic partners You share our values (excellence, scientific integrity, diversity, curiosity, and care) and want to help us define our product-focused culture and ambition to accelerate. C12 encourages all who feel qualified to apply. Recruitment decisions are based solely on qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience. Applications from women are particularly welcomed.