Quantum Machine Learning Engineer

ORCA Computing Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ORCA Computing Ltd in London is seeking a seasoned expert to drive adoption of its photonic quantum technologies by working with customers and partners to develop quantum ML and optimisation use cases. You will prototype and benchmark algorithms using ORCA’s stack, communicate results to diverse audiences, and contribute to software tools while supporting commercial activities.

The role requires a Masters/PhD in a relevant field, strong programming skills in Python, and experience deploying

Qualifications

• Masters or PhD in physics, CS, or equivalent.
• Experience with quantum machine learning or quantum optimisation.
• Excellent programming and scientific computing skills.
• Proven ability to scope ambiguous technical problems into tractable projects.
• Experience working with end-users and technical partners.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement quantum ML and optimisation use cases for diverse customers and partners.
• Benchmark application performance and report results to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Contribute improvements to ORCA’s software tools, algorithms, and libraries.
• Support commercial activities including technical discovery calls and proofs-of-concept.
• Deliver training workshops and technical onboarding for customers and partners.
• Document methodologies and learnings to build a scalable knowledge base.

Skills

Quantum ML

Python

Git

Communication

End-user engagement

Ambiguity handling

Education

Masters or PhD in Physics/CS

Tools

Quantum ML frameworks

Version control workflows

Job description

Reports to: Head of Applications & Software

Job Type: Full time

Location: Central London, hybrid

About us

ORCA Computing (“ORCA”) is at the forefront of a new era in high-performance computing, developing full-stack photonic quantum systems designed to transform how organisations tackle machine learning, generative AI, and complex optimisation challenges in data centre environments. Headquartered in London, ORCA has delivered eleven on-premises quantum computers worldwide – demonstrating that its technology is not theoretical but already delivering real world results.

At the core of ORCA’s innovation is its hybrid quantum-classical architecture, engineered for seamless integration into existing AI and HPC infrastructure. ORCA PT Series quantum systems are room temperature and rack-mounted which connect directly to GPU clusters via NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q platform, enabling accelerated AI workloads delivering advantages over traditional silicon-based systems. Backed by a strong portfolio of patent families spanning photonic integrated circuits, quantum memory, and multiplexing technologies, ORCA is enabling enterprises, research institutions, and HPC operators to unlock new levels of performance, efficiency, and scalability.

With the recent launch its next-generation PT-3 system, ORCA is entering a pivotal phase of growth and technological advancement. Its solutions are already being embedded into generative AI pipelines, delivering measurable improvements in model performance, while also addressing the rising energy demands of large-scale AI adoption. With a focus on practical deployment and a clear roadmap to fault-tolerant quantum computing, ORCA is leading the development and deployment of quantum technology, providing a commercially viable path to the future of computing.

What will you do

In this role, you will drive adoption of ORCA’s photonic quantum technologies by working closely alongside our customers and technology partners to develop new scientific and industrial applications. You will implement and benchmark quantum machine learning and optimisation algorithms using ORCA’s software and hardware stack and put them to work on real use cases for a wide range of partners and end users. You will take applications from concept to prototype and benchmarked result, communicate what you find to both technical and non-technical audiences, and feed your learnings back into ORCA’s tools and roadmap.

The main responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement new use cases of ORCA technology with a wide range of customers and partners. This involves designing, prototyping, and implementing quantum ML and optimisation algorithms using ORCA’s software and hardware stack, working alongside external teams and internal engineers.
• Benchmark application performance and communicate results clearly to technical and non-technical audiences through reports, presentations, and publications.
• Contribute improvements back to ORCA’s software tools, algorithms, and libraries based on insights from real-world deployments.
• Support commercial activities including technical discovery calls and proof-of-concept projects in collaboration with business development colleagues.
• Deliver training workshops and technical onboarding for customers, partners, and newcomers to ORCA’s platform.
• Document applications, methodologies, and learnings to build a shared knowledge base that scales the team’s impact.

What will you bring – required

• Experience with quantum machine learning and/or quantum optimisation.
• Excellent scientific programming skills (Python, git), including relevant quantum and ML frameworks and version control workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to take an ambiguous technical problem, scope it into a tractable project, and deliver results on a timeline.
• Hands-on experience of working directly with end-users and technical partners in a collaborative setting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting technical work to a wide range of audiences.
• Comfort working directly with external stakeholders and translating between their needs and internal technical work.
• Master’s or PhD in a relevant field (physics, computer science, or equivalent).

Nice to have

• Experience with photonic quantum computing.
• Experience benchmarking quantum hardware and applications.
• Experience with hybrid quantum-classical algorithms and architectures.
• Strong classical machine learning skills.
• A publication track record in quantum computing or ML.
• Prior experience in a customer-facing or pre-sales technical role.

Who we are looking for

• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Excellent communication skills, particularly in a commercial setting.
• Growth mindset, results driven.

Joining ORCA Computing offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of quantum technology, where innovation is already delivering real-world impact. Across commercial, operational, and product roles, you’ll collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to bring advanced quantum systems to market and help integrate quantum capabilities into modern AI and data centre ecosystems.

ORCA provides a rare chance to contribute to a pivotal moment in the evolution of computing. With a culture built on ownership, collaboration, and ambition, the company empowers individuals to solve complex challenges and shape how next-generation quantum technologies are developed, deployed, and scaled across industries – driving a more efficient and powerful future for AI and compute.