Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Entangled Future; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Q-CTRL is seeking a Senior FPGA and Embedded Software Engineer to develop real-time firmware for quantum sensors, bridging hardware, control systems and software. You will work closely with researchers to understand the sensor stack and push performance and reliability in real-world environments.

This role focuses on FPGA firmware, SoC integration, and time-synchronised high-bandwidth data capture. You will design robust startup and calibration routines, and contribute to CI/CD and testing

Qualifications

• Experience in embedded systems and digital design.
• Proficiency in SystemVerilog and FPGA/SoC development.
• Strong C/C++/Rust skills for interfacing with FPGA data paths.

Responsibilities

• Develop, integrate, optimise and support FPGA firmware for Q-CTRL quantum sensors.
• Build startup, calibration and monitoring routines for autonomous sensor operation.
• Collaborate with researchers to translate control concepts into reliable real-time behavior near hardware.
• Integrate FPGA logic with SoC software for time-synchronised high-bandwidth data capture and DMA transfers.
• Improve simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing for CI and deployment.

Skills

Embedded systems

Digital design

SystemVerilog

C/C++/Rust

DSP concepts

CI/CD

Collaboration

Data path interfaces

Tools

SystemVerilog

Xilinx SoCs

Vivado

cocotb

Job description

Senior Embedded Software Engineer at Q-CTRL, Sydney. A senior-level full time position in the Sensing Research team, listed under software engineering.

About the team

Q-CTRL’s Quantum Sensing Research team performs basic and applied research in quantum sensing and quantum-enabled navigation. It is a highly dynamic team comprising approximately 30 specialists in theoretical and experimental atomic physics, cold-atom interferometry, navigation modeling , and modern Bayesian estimation and signal processing techniques.

The Quantum Sensing Research and Quantum Sensing R&D teams work closely together, translating novel quantum sensing research into a useful capability and product. We are focussed on pushing the boundary of what is possible in quantum sensing and ensuring our R&D has real-world impact.

About the role

Join Q-CTRL to help turn cutting-edge quantum sensing technology into robust devices that can operate in the real world. As a Senior FPGA and Embedded Software Engineer, you will develop the real-time digital and firmware stack behind our quantum accelerometers, working where advanced hardware, control systems and fundamental science meet.

You will partner closely with research scientists and engineers to understand how the whole sensor works, then make it more capable and reliable. This is a role for a curious, versatile engineer who enjoys getting close to the hardware and learning new domains quickly.

You do not need to arrive with experience in every technology listed below: we value strong fundamentals, thoughtful problem-solving and the drive to learn.

Responsibilities

• Develop, integrate, optimise and support FPGA firmware for Q-CTRL quantum sensors.Implement and maintain timing-critical digital processing blocks, including filters, decimation and related DSP pipelines.
• Build robust startup, calibration, operation and monitoring routines for autonomous sensor operation.
• Work with research scientists to translate control concepts into reliable, real-time behaviour close to the hardware.
• Integrate FPGA logic with SoC software, enabling reliable, time-synchronised high-bandwidth data capture, DMA transfer and storage.
• Establish and improve simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing to support continuous integration and confident field deployment.
• Investigate system-level issues across FPGA logic, firmware, electronics, embedded Linux and higher-level software.
• Contribute to architecture decisions that improve reliability and performance in future sensor revisions.
• Document test, validation and operational procedures as part of delivering the quantum sensor package.

Nice to Have

• Strong foundations in digital design and embedded systems.
• Familiarity with SystemVerilog for implementing and maintaining FPGA logic.
• Experience with Xilinx SoCs and Vivado-based development workflows.
• Digital signal processing experience, including practical implementation of filters, decimation or related signal-conditioning pipelines.
• Experience with simulation and verification workflows such as cocotb.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively with engineers and research scientists in an evolving technical environment.
• CI/CD development processes for testing, validation and deployment.
• Systems programming languages (for example C, C++ or Rust) to interface with FPGA data paths, including DMA-based transfer.