Senior Embedded Software & Firmware Engineer

Oxford Quantum Circuits; Reading; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading quantum technology firm in Reading seeks a Senior Embedded Software & Firmware Engineer to lead embedded software and firmware projects crucial for quantum computing systems. The role involves collaboration with FPGA developers, debugging complex issues, and mentoring less experienced engineers. Ideal candidates have deep experience in embedded software development, strong skills in Python and C/C++, and a passion for tackling low-level performance challenges in a cutting-edge field.

Qualifications

• Deep experience in embedded software and firmware development.
• Strong expertise in Python and system-level languages such as C/C++ or Rust.
• Excellent grasp of computer science fundamentals and hardware systems.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of embedded software and firmware development projects.
• Work closely with FPGA developers for firmware testing.
• Lead debugging of software/hardware issues in development and production.

Skills

Embedded software development

Firmware development

Python

C/C++ or Rust

Debugging

Job description

At OQC, our embedded software and firmware underpins the operation of our quantum computing systems — bridging complex hardware with higher-level software to deliver reliable, high-performance quantum devices. We’re now looking for a Senior Embedded Software & Firmware Engineer to take a leading role in designing, developing, and evolving the low-level software that enables our quantum computers to operate at scale.

You’re an experienced embedded engineer who thrives close to the hardware and enjoys solving hard performance, reliability, and integration problems. You bring technical and architectural insight, and a passion for mentoring others. You’re comfortable owning critical systems, influencing technical direction, and working across teams to ensure our embedded software meets both current and future needs.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of embedded software and firmware development projects, agreeing priorities and delivering solutions across hardware/software boundaries, particularly for quantum control systems.
• Work closely with FPGA developers to create and test firmware for Hard Processor Systems (HPS), integrating software with quantum control hardware.
• Own company-level technical challenges by gathering requirements, designing solutions, and leading the development lifecycle—from concept to deployment.
• Take the lead in debugging complex software/hardware issues in both development and production environments, using rigorous testing methodologies and tools.
• Ensure robust integration of firmware with other control hardware subsystems and contribute to wider system design and performance goals.
• Support, mentor, and review the work of less experienced engineers; create and manage work packages to help develop junior team members.
• Participate in industry conferences, consortia, and other networking opportunities to share expertise and represent the company as a technical leader.
• Contribute to process development and continuous improvement initiatives, especially in embedded systems development, quality assurance, and documentation.
• Maintain high standards of code quality, ensure security compliance, and support clear, up-to-date documentation practices.
• Work with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure solutions meet evolving needs, driving effective collaboration and communication across functions.

Qualifications

You’ll bring deep experience in embedded software and firmware development, with strong expertise in Python and system-level languages such as C/C++ or Rust. You’ll have an excellent grasp of computer science fundamentals and hardware systems — including operating systems, concurrency, memory management, microcontrollers, Systems-on-Chip and performance tuning — and a proven track record of delivering production-grade software in complex or industrial environments at the register and hardware abstraction layer of low level devices.

We’re particularly interested in engineers who have led multiple embedded software projects where hardware was a crucial part of the system through their full lifecycle and are comfortable owning and evolving large, long-lived codebases. You’ll enjoy tackling low-level performance and reliability challenges and take pride in solving complex problems close to the hardware. As a senior member of the team, you’ll naturally mentor others, helping to raise the technical bar and foster best practice across the group, while confidently influencing architectural decisions and contributing to the wider technical strategy.

And of course, you’ll bring curiosity, adaptability, and a relentless drive for quality — essential traits when building software at the frontier of quantum technology.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to lead the development of embedded software that powers OQC’s quantum computers — and to help shape the future of hardware-software integration in quantum systems — we’d love to hear from you.