6 Weeks Target Identification Strategy Work in Quantum

About the engagement We are a market intelligence and advisory firm serving the quantum, space, and AI sectors. We operate the sector's reference database and advise hardware manufacturers, investors, and governments on commercial strategy. We are looking for a consultant to support delivery of an engagement for a photonics hardware client selling into the quantum industry. The objective is to produce a defensible, evidenced shortlist of the companies most likely to become material customers over the next 24 to 36 months, validate that list through primary interviews, and equip the client's outreach with tested positioning. You will work alongside our senior sponsor and a sector expert, who provide the technical framing. Your role is execution: turning the framework into a rigorous, well-argued deliverable. What you will do Build the target universe. Screen the quantum computing company landscape from our platform data against the client's technical envelope, then apply an agreed scoring model covering funding position, scaling stage, existing supplier arrangements, and accessibility. Produce the shortlist. Deliver roughly fifteen named, ranked companies, each with a short rationale, the technical fit, and a named function to approach. Run expert interviews. Schedule and conduct around six structured interviews with hardware decision-makers (CTO, VP Engineering, Head of Photonics level). Draft the guides, run the calls, and write them up. Extract the "so what." Synthesize findings into a clear commercial read: where the client has a right to play, what buyers actually need, how procurement decisions get made, and which messages open conversations. Build and present the deliverable. Produce a shortlist workbook in Excel and a findings deck of 15 to 20 slides, then support a client walkthrough and one consolidated revision round. You are a good fit if you have Two or more years at a top-tier strategy consultancy (MBB or equivalent), or comparable in-house strategy experience Demonstrated experience running expert or customer interviews and synthesizing them into decision-ready output Strong Excel and slide craft — you can build a clean scoring model and a deck that lands an argument, not just presents data Comfort with technical subject matter. You do not need to be a physicist, but you should be able to hold a credible conversation about hardware and translate technical detail into commercial implications Fluent written and spoken English, and the judgment to work independently against a tight timeline Deep tech, semiconductor, photonics, or advanced manufacturing exposure is a strong plus. Prior quantum experience is welcome but not required. Engagement details Fully remote, starting the week of 31 August 2026. The engagement runs approximately five to six weeks. We will define the precise weekly hours investment together at kickoff, based on scope and your availability. There is scope for follow-on work if the engagement goes well, including a possible longer-term arrangement.