Software Engineer

National Quantum Computing Centre; East Hagbourne; On-site; GBP 50,858 - 62,159; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working scheme

Defined benefit pension scheme

30 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Job summary

A national laboratory for quantum computing in Oxfordshire is seeking two Software Engineers to enhance the UK’s quantum capabilities. You will collaborate with leading scientists and work on software for quantum computing systems. Strong skills in C# and .NET are essential, along with a relevant degree. This role offers the chance to work at the forefront of technology with flexible working options and generous benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience in software design, development, and testing.
• Significant knowledge of Software and Systems Architectures.
• Strong understanding of Compiler Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Work alongside scientists and engineers to enhance quantum computing capabilities.
• Support delivery of ambitious technology roadmap for quantum computing.
• Implement and research compiler and runtime focused on superconducting qubits.

Skills

C# programming

.NET ecosystem

Agile Engineering Practices

DevOps: Kubernetes

High-performance computing

Education

Degree in computing-related discipline

Tools

Visual Studio

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

Salary: £56,509 (Band E S1) gross per annum
Contract Type: Up to 2x permanent position
Hours: Full Time (We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants)
Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, UK

Due to the requirement for obtaining an enhanced security clearance for this role, we are only able to accept applications from individuals who have been resident in the UK for the last five years.

Come and do the kind of engineering that made you want to be an engineer. Stretch your technical skills while building human understanding. Promote sustainability and create new materials. And, alongside world-leading scientists, technicians and technologists, shape projects that improve lives and daily life, in the UK and far beyond.

Put simply, come and discover the impact you can make when you’re equipped, encouraged, and inspired to perform to your very best.

About NQCC

The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) is the UK’s national laboratory dedicated to accelerating the development and adoption of quantum computing. Headquartered at the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, the NQCC works across government, industry, and academia to address the engineering challenges of scaling quantum computers and to build a quantum-ready economy. Its mission is to enable the UK to solve complex societal and industrial challenges by harnessing the transformative potential of quantum computing.

The NQCC is a joint initiative of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). It sits alongside other departments within the STFC National Laboratories and is part of the wider National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP).

Our Benefits include a flexible working scheme (subject to business requirements), defined benefit pension scheme, and 30 days annual leave allowance plus 10.5 bank holiday/privilege days and several other benefits.

About the Role

We are looking for 2 Software Engineers to join the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC). You will be working alongside scientists, engineers, developers, and experts in quantum technologies, working to enhance the UK’s quantum computing capabilities. Reporting into the Software and Control Systems Group, the Software Engineer is essential to the delivery of our ambitious technology roadmap for supporting quantum computing for the UK. The Software and Control Systems Group maintains software ranging from the control of quantum computing hardware to providing quantum programming platforms for application engineers.

Our core .NET (C#) platform provides a flexible architecture allowing components to be selected at runtime to form application-specific toolchains. Components span a variety of programming languages (C#, C++, Python) and include:

• Hardware-aware compilation for an in-house quantum system.
• Optimisation of Quantum programming languages.
• Hybrid Quantum/Classical algorithms.
• Quantum Emulation on our in-house HPC cluster.
• Extension points for integrating with third-party tools and web-based Quantum platforms.
• Data analysis and monitoring.

Our Agile process encourages hands-on experience across the full quantum stack. We are building a new team to research and implement a compiler and runtime focused on superconducting qubits. We have 2 positions available to support this: a Compiler Engineer and a Research Software Engineer.

Not only is this an exciting role at the forefront of science and technology, but the candidate will also gain excellent experience in large-scale systems integration across a variety of collaborations in the quantum computing ecosystem.

Person Specification

These roles require someone who can work well as part of a multidisciplinary team, but also demonstrate autonomy within their area of responsibility. You will be proactive, self-motivated, and able to work in a dynamic environment. You will exhibit a pragmatic attitude towards the work of others, particularly in a collaborative environment, whilst having a good eye for detail, interpreting and presenting technical performance data.

Technical expertise in quantum computing is not essential as part of the role, but would be seen as valuable.

(Please note the criteria below will be assessed at the Shortlisting or Interview stage as indicated)

• Educated to degree level or relevant experience in a computing-related discipline (S&I).
• Experience In C# programming language and the .NET ecosystem (S&I).
• Experience in software design, development, and testing (S&I).
• Significant knowledge of Software and Systems Architectures (S&I).
• Strong understanding of Compiler Engineering (S&I).
• Microsoft tools: Windows, Office, Teams, SharePoint, Visual Studio (S&I).
• Demonstrable experience in several of the following: (S&I).

• Agile Engineering Practices.
• DevOps: Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines.
• High-performance computing.
• Enterprise integration design patterns.
• User interface/user experience development.
• Rust, Python, and C++ programming languages.
• Quantum programming tools & languages.
• Development, test, and deployment of embedded devices.
• Working in a research capacity (e.g. master’s, PhD).

You will be able to work/travel within the UK and overseas as and when required to attend international meetings with collaborators.

Security Clearance

Due to the nature of the role and a requirement to support diverse projects, the successful candidate is required to complete national pre-employment control checks to the BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) to fulfil the role. BPSS checks can take between 9 and 12 working days. Once in post, you will need to successfully complete a Security Check (SC) clearance.