Software Manager / Senior Software Manager

ORCA Computing Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

ORCA Computing Ltd in London seeks a Software Manager to own and evolve the software that runs its quad-core photonic quantum systems in production. You will lead a team, define the software roadmap, and collaborate with cross-functional engineering to ensure robust, low-latency data-centre integration and reliable operation at customer sites.

You are experienced in real-time or low-latency systems, with strong Python/C++/Rust skills and a track record of shipping production software.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years’ experience building and shipping production software with leadership roles.
• Experience with high-performance computing systems and/or data-centre integration.
• Real-time or low-latency software, hardware control, or FPGA/software integration experience.
• Solid Linux systems knowledge and strong Python/C++/Rust skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, technical direction and lifecycle of ORCA’s low-level software stack for data-centre deployments.
• Provide escalation support and root-cause analysis with clear customer communication.
• Manage and develop the software engineering team, set priorities and staffing plans.
• Define and drive the software roadmap with input from customers and technical teams.
• Improve performance: latency, throughput, uptime, recovery, aligned with hardware teams.
• Introduce shipping-product disciplines: testing, CI/CD, release management, observability.
• Build shared ownership and ensure knowledge is broadly distributed.

Skills

Python

C++

Rust

Linux

Leadership

HPC experience

Education

Computing degree

Tools

CUDA-Q

CI/CD

Job description

Software Manager / Senior Software Manager

Salary & Benefits : Competitive

Department: Systems

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (Chief Technology Officer, once appointed)

Job Type: Full time, permanent

Location: Central London, on-site four days a week

Travel: Occasional international travel, typically 3–4 trips a year

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. 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. Its current PT-2 system, a rack-mounted quantum computer, connects directly to GPU clusters via NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q platform, enabling accelerated AI workloads with significantly lower energy consumption than 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.

As ORCA prepares to launch its next-generation PT-3 system, the company 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.

The role

ORCA’s systems are running in production with customers in data centres around the world. We are now looking for a Software Manager to take ownership of the software that controls and operates them, and to lead the team that builds it.

Collaborating closely with cross-functional engineering and technical teams, you will lead design and evolution of ORCA’s quantum software stack, creating a robust, maintainable platform that meets the reliability, latency and operability standards customers expect of data-centre infrastructure. You will be accountable for the team, for the platform, and for how the software performs at customer sites.

What will you do

• Lead the architecture, technical direction and lifecycle of ORCA’s low-level software stack, leading a transition towards a robust, production-grade platform aimed at integration with data centre infrastructure – compute, resource orchestration, networking, security and operational tooling – establishing clear standardised interfaces and long-term extensibility along ORCA’s roadmap.
• Provide escalation support for ORCA’s Customer Success team leading root-cause analysis, communicating clearly with customers and internal stakeholders, and make sure fixes stick.
• Lead, manage and develop the software engineering team. Set clear priorities and standards, lead performance reviews and develop and agree team resourcing plans.
• Be responsible for updating and delivering against the software roadmap determining the priority of new features and upgrades from discussions with the customer and commercial and the technical teams.
• Continually improve the performance of the software stack, focussing on latency, throughput, uptime and recovery, working with the optical and hardware teams to meet system-level specifications on current and next-generation systems.
• Introduce the engineering disciplines of a shipping product: requirements and specifications, test strategy and automation, code review, CI/CD, release and configuration management, observability and incident response.
• Build shared ownership and documentation across the team so that critical knowledge and systems do not depend on any one individual.
• Act as a senior technical point of contact across engineering, working closely with the Lead Optical Systems Engineer and provide reporting to senior leadership and board updates, when required.

What will you bring – required

• At least 10 years’ experience building and shipping production software, including a track record of leading and managing engineering teams.
• Experience with high performance computing systems and/or integrating systems into large scale data-centre infrastructure environments.
• Bringing a high-degree of problem solving and a proven ability to work around issues with experience and judgement to make hard choices, trade-offs or sacrifices, which may require a working knowledge of the commercial or reputational setting , as well as technical.
• Deep experience with software that controls or operates hardware: real-time or low-latency systems, instrument control, embedded, FPGA/software integration, or similar.
• Strong proficiency in Python and C++ and/or Rust, with solid Linux systems knowledge.
• A rigorous approach to engineering quality: testing, CI/CD, release management, observability and systematic root-cause analysis.
• Experience supporting customers with deployed systems, and the ability to communicate clearly and calmly with customers under pressure.
• Degree in computer science, electrical engineering, physics or another quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have

• Experience with quantum computing, quantum control stacks, quantum developer environments (such as CUDA-Q) or other advanced scientific instruments.
• Knowledge of digital signal processing, data acquisition, timing and synchronisation.
• Background in environments with high standards for reliability or safety, such as telecoms, semiconductor equipment, medical devices, defence or aerospace.
• Experience working in a commercial environment, in venture-backed deep tech companies scaling from R&D to product.

Who we are looking for

• A leader who owns outcomes: you take responsibility for the team, the product and the customer, not just the code.
• Rigorous and systematic: you bring structure, measurement and discipline to complex problems, and you fix causes rather than symptoms.
• A builder of people: you develop engineers, manage strong personalities fairly, and create a team that performs without heroics.
• Calm under pressure: you bring clarity and confidence to customers and colleagues when things go wrong.
• Pragmatic and action-orientated: you balance long-term architecture against what needs to work for customers this week.

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.