Embedded Software Engineer - Quantum Networks

TU Delft; Nederland; Hybrid; EUR 41,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance 8%

End-of-year bonus 8.3%

ABP pension scheme

Personal development budget

Leave hours

Job summary

TU Delft's QuTech is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer to join the Open Access Team in the Quantum Internet Division. You will develop, maintain, and improve a quantum hardware emulation platform (QI-Lab) and prepare it for open-source release, collaborating with researchers and engineers across Europe.

You will work on embedded stack components, RTOS programming, and integration with lab instruments and FPGA hardware, while documenting and supporting external users.

Qualifications

• Experience developing software in C/C++ and Python.
• Familiarity with low-level software and Linux.
• Ability to explain technical choices clearly to physicists, engineers and external users, in English.
• Enjoyment of working in multidisciplinary teams across organizations.

Responsibilities

• Develop new features for quantum hardware emulation platforms and maintain the existing codebase.
• Work on the embedded parts of the stack, including RTOS programming and real-time constraints.
• Integrate and control lab instruments and FPGA-based hardware from software, and debug at the hardware/software boundary.
• Prepare QI-Lab for open-source release: packaging, versioning, automated testing and external contributions.
• Write documentation, examples and onboarding material, and support researchers at QuTech and QIA partners.
• Collaborate with engineering and research teams across Europe, including occasional on-site visits.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Linux

RTOS

Education

Master's degree in Embedded Systems / Computer Science

Tools

QI-Lab

Git

FPGA tooling

Job description

Embedded Software Engineer - Quantum Networks

The Netherlands is one of the leading countries in quantum technology with QuTech at its heart. Join our team as an Embedded Software Engineer at our research centre and help us shape the quantum future.

As an Embedded Software Engineer at QuTech, you will be part of the Open Access Team within the Quantum Internet Division. The team works closely with research groups, engineers, and support staff, as well as with research and engineering teams across Europe through the Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA), a partnership of more than 50 organisations working together to build a quantum internet in Europe.

The Open Access Team is working to develop shared Open access infrastructure for quantum internet research and development. The goal is to provide tools and facilities that help researchers, technology developers, and end users accelerate progress across Europe. One example is QI-Lab, a quantum hardware emulation platform recently developed at QuTech that enables hardware-in-the-loop quantum network experiments using a desktop. Our goal is to release QI-Lab as an open-source experimentation platform that can be used by the wider quantum internet community.

In this role you will work closely with researchers and engineers to develop, maintain and improve the platform and make it usable for a wider community. On a daily basis your responsibilities will be:

• Develop new features for our quantum hardware emulation platforms and maintain and improve the existing codebase.
• Work on the embedded parts of the stack, including RTOS programming and integration on platforms with real-time constraints, adapting the design as new research challenges arise.
• Integrate and control lab instruments and FPGA-based hardware from software, and debug issues at the hardware/software boundary.
• Prepare QI-Lab for open-source release: packaging, versioning, automated testing and handling contributions from outside QuTech.
• Write documentation, examples and onboarding material, and support researchers at QuTech and QIA partners using the platform.
• Work with experimentalists and fellow engineers to design and run experiments that demonstrate hardware/software integration and the functionality of the stack.
• Collaborate with engineering and research teams at QIA partner organizations across Europe, including occasional on-site visits.

Job Requirements

We are looking for a motivated junior to mid-level Embedded Software Engineer, ideally with around two years of relevant experience and a master's degree in Embedded Systems, Computer Science, or a related field. We would be particularly interested in candidates who have:

• Experience developing software in C/C++ and Python.
• Familiarity with low-level software (e.g. peripheral firmware, serial communication) and with development on Linux.
• Ability to explain technical choices clearly to physicists, engineers and external users, in English.
• Enjoyment of working in multidisciplinary teams across organizations.

We look forward to receiving applications from all qualified candidates and are committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity. We believe in the power of an inclusive organizational culture and think it is important that everyone can be themselves. Whether it concerns age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background: everyone is welcome!

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.

For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow.These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future.

At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means joining an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.

QuTech

At QuTech, we work on radically new technologies with world-changing potential. Our mission: to develop scalable prototypes of a quantum computer and a quantum internet by integrating world-class research and groundbreaking innovation. Through excellence, relevance, and leadership, we cultivate a vibrant quantum technology ecosystem. Together, we are creating the quantum future, because we believe that quantum technologies can be a game changer in many societal and economic sectors, including health, agriculture and safety.

Have a look at our video and get a glimpse of QuTech.

Conditions of employment

As an Embedded Software Engineer, you will initially be offered a one-year contract with TU Delft, with the possibility of extension. You will work in a dynamic, international, and inclusive environment, where you will have ample opportunities to learn, develop your skills, and grow professionally.

• A salary based on Scale 10 of the CAO for Dutch Universities with a salary between €3,706 - €5,760 gross per month based on a fulltime contract (38 hours)
• 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount on health insurance.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training, and courses.

Additional information

For more information about this position, you can contact Nico Seidler, Project Manager at QIA at [e-mail].

For questions concerning the procedure please contact Audrey Monje, Senior Talent Acquisition at QuTech at [e-mail].