Senior Embedded (ARM) Engineer - Quantum Computing (m/w/d)

eleQtron; Hamburg; On-site; EUR 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible working hours

Team spirit

Further training

Wellness package

Bike leasing

Moving benefits

At the forefront

Modern workplace

Job summary

eleQtron is seeking a Senior Embedded (ARM) Engineer to own the real-time firmware for our quantum computer control platform in Hamburg or Siegen. You will bridge hardware pulses to software-defined experiments, ensuring nanosecond-precision timing and reliable operation across the system.

You will lead Bring-up with electronics and physics teams, implement drivers and board support, and shape the embedded architecture as the machine evolves. Strong C/C++ on ARM and RTOS experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Strong command of C/C++ on ARM platforms, close to hardware.
• Experience with bare-metal and RTOS environments.
• Deep understanding of real-time concepts: interrupts, DMA, timing, concurrency, determinism.

Responsibilities

• Own the embedded firmware on our ARM-based control platform from architecture to implementation and on-hardware debugging.
• Develop and maintain the real-time software layer coordinating pulse sequencing, timing, and data flow.
• Write and maintain low-level drivers and board support for hardware dependencies.
• Ensure deterministic, low-latency behaviour under hard real-time constraints.
• Lead firmware bring-up with electronics and physics teams; debug at software–hardware boundary.
• Define firmware architecture and engineering practices for build, test, release as the system matures.
• Interface the embedded layer with higher stack layers so experiments run correctly on the machine.

Skills

C/C++ on ARM

RTOS & bare-metal

Real-time concepts

Debugging hardware

Oscilloscopes/JTAG

Firmware bring-up

Team collaboration

English communication

Job description

eleQtron develops and operates full-stack quantum computers based on trapped-ion technology. Quantum computing is a new computing paradigm rapidly approaching commercial viability. Our unique approach combines laser-cooled trapped ions with microwave control and tailored magnetic fields. Our next-generation computing machines under development will be able to find solutions to problems that are out of reach today, thus enabling new innovative products and services for a brighter future.

We are looking for a Senior Embedded (ARM) Engineer (m/f/d) to join us in Hamburg or Siegen and own the real-time firmware that turns our control electronics into a working quantum computer. You will work on our next-generation system, where the control electronics are being integrated into a single, highly integrated chip. You sit at the heart of the machine, between the hardware that generates the pulses and the higher-level software that describes the experiments. Timing is not a detail here; it is the product. You are the person who makes sure the right signal reaches the ions at the right nanosecond, reliably, run after run.

Responsibilities:

• Own the embedded firmware on our ARM-based control platform, from architecture through implementation to on-hardware debugging
• Develop and maintain the real-time software layer that coordinates pulse sequencing, timing, and data flow across our highly integrated control chip
• Write and maintain the low-level drivers and board support the hardware relies on
• Guarantee deterministic, low-latency behaviour under hard real-time constraints
• Lead firmware bring-up together with our electronics and physics teams, and debug at the boundary where software meets signal
• Define the firmware architecture and engineering practices — build, test, and release processes for the embedded layer as the system matures
• Contribute to the interfaces between the embedded layer and the rest of the stack, so experiments defined in software run correctly on the machine

Required Skills:

• 5+ years of professional embedded software development for real-time or timing-critical systems
• Deep command of C (and ideally C++) on ARM platforms, working close to the hardware
• Experience with bare-metal and/or RTOS environments, and a clear understanding of when each is appropriate
• Comfortable reading schematics and datasheets, and debugging real hardware with oscilloscopes, logic analysers, and JTAG
• Strong grasp of real-time concepts: interrupts, DMA, timing, concurrency, and determinism
• A track record of bringing up firmware on new hardware, not only maintaining existing systems
• Ability to collaborate effectively with experimental physicists and engineers, and to turn imprecise physical requirements into robust firmware
• Strong adaptability and a quick learning mindset
• Good proficiency in English (written and spoken)
  

Nice to have (Bonus)

• Experience on highly integrated SoCs, particularly ARM+FPGA platforms such as Xilinx Zynq / RFSoC
• Working alongside FPGA/digital-electronics engineers at the software–gateware boundary
• Rust for embedded systems
• Embedded Linux on ARM (Cortex-A), including driver and kernel-module work
• Signal processing or control-loop implementation on embedded targets
• Experience with high-speed data acquisition or precision timing systemsFamiliarity with laboratory, scientific, or measurement instrumentation
• Prior experience with quantum computing or other deep-tech domains

What you can expect from eleQtron:

• Competitive salary: We value our team members and therefore provide remunerations that reflect this, additionally rewarding achievements
• Flexible working hours : We offer personal freedom through a variety of flexible work schedules
• Team spirit: In our international and diverse team, and with our regular team events, having fun at work is simply part of the culture
• Further development: We want to grow together and so we offer our team members needs-based, individualized further training as well as plenty of room for personal development
• Wellness Package : We offer health-promoting benefits such as fitness programs like UrbanSportsClub to support your well-being
• Bike Leasing: Stay Mobile and Sustainable with Our Company Bike Leasing Program
• Moving Benefits: A warm welcome! We are happy to support employees who move for us with a bonus
• At the forefront : Work at the forefront of technology, where academic research meets commercial applications
• Modern workplace: We have a high-quality infrastructure with laboratory space, offices and meeting rooms