FPGA Engineer, MQS Center for Quantum Computing

Amazon; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 144,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon's MQS Center for Quantum Computing in Pasadena, CA is seeking an FPGA Engineer to contribute to our quantum control platform. You will develop RTL designs and embedded software, focusing on latency, bandwidth, and resource usage at the hardware/software interface.

You will collaborate with researchers and software engineers, implement Verilog/SystemVerilog subsystems, and ensure integration with our Python-based experiments, with on-site work at Caltech campus.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of non-internship professional software development experience.
• Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field.
• 3+ years of industry experience with FPGA development.
• Experience with a scripting language (bash, TCL, Python, etc.).
• 2+ years of embedded software development in C, C++, or Rust.
• Experience with hardware bring-up/debugging and common interfaces (Ethernet, USB, PCIe).

Responsibilities

• Work with stakeholders to understand and refine hardware/software requirements.
• Propose architectural updates to meet requirements.
• Implement RTL subsystems in Verilog or SystemVerilog.
• Develop embedded software in C, C++ or Rust for near-real-time tasks.
• Verify & validate designs in simulation and bench-top conditions.
• Ensure new features integrate into Python-based experimental software stack.

Skills

FPGA development

Verilog/SystemVerilog

C/C++/Rust

Embedded software

Python scripting

Ethernet/PCIe/USB

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

M.Sc. in EE/CE/Physics/CS

Tools

Xilinx SoC

RTL tooling

High-level Synthesis

RTOS development

Job description

Description

The Models, Quantum, and Silicon (MQS) Center for Quantum Computing (CQC) is a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and technicians, on a mission to develop a fault-tolerant quantum computer.

We are looking for an FPGA Engineer to contribute to our quantum control platform. As a part of the control stack team, you will develop and integrate RTL designs and embedded software with an eye towards overcoming novel challenges in experimental quantum computing, such as high-throughput device characterization & calibration, or enabling real-time quantum error correction protocols. The ideal candidate will help us work backwards from our broader experimental goals, driving improvements to our control platform at the hardware/software interface while ensuring that high-level requirements (e.g. latency, bandwidth, resource utilization) are met.

This position is on-site at our lab, located on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, CA.

Work/Life Balance
At the MQS CQC, we understand that developing quantum computing technology is a marathon, not a sprint. Mental and physical wellness is encouraged within our team and throughout AWS. The work/life integration within Amazon encourages a culture where employees work hard and have ownership over their downtime. We are exploring more structured wellness elements including meditation scheduling, running group meet-ups, and a culture of sharing wellness tips.

Mentorship and Career Growth
We are committed to the growth and development of every member of the Center for Quantum Computing. You will receive career-growth-minded management and mentorship from a software and science team, and also have the opportunity to participate in Amazon's mentorship programs. You will work closely with quantum research scientists and have opportunities to learn about quantum computing technology and contribute to the development of scientific software for quantum computing at AWS.

Inclusive and Diverse Culture
Here at AWS, we embrace our differences. We are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion. We have ten employee-led affinity groups, reaching 40,000 employees in over 190 chapters globally. We have innovative benefit offerings, and we host annual and ongoing learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon conferences. Amazon’s culture of inclusion is reinforced within our 16 Leadership Principles, which remind team members to seek diverse perspectives, learn and be curious, and earn trust.

Key job responsibilities

• Work with stakeholders to understand and refine hardware/software requirements.
• Propose architectural or micro-architectural updates to our control platform to meet requirements.
• Implement RTL subsystems in Verilog or SystemVerilog.
• Develop embedded software in C, C++ or Rust for high-performance near-real-time tasks.
• Verify & validate designs, both in simulation and in bench-top / real-world conditions.
• Ensure new features are successfully integrated into our Python-based experimental software stack.

We are looking for candidates with strong engineering principles, resourcefulness and a bias for action, superior problem-solving and excellent communication skills. Working effectively within a team environment is essential. As a member of a research organization, you will have the opportunity to work on new ideas and stay abreast of the field of experimental quantum computation.

A day in the life
The majority of your time will be spent on projects that extend the functional capabilities or performance of our existing control platform. This requires working backwards from the needs of our science staff in the context of our larger experimental roadmap. You will translate hardware and software requirements into design proposals balancing implementation complexity against time-to-delivery. Once a design proposal has been reviewed and accepted, you will drive the implementation and coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure a smooth roll out. Because many high-level experimental goals have cross-cutting requirements, you’ll often work closely with other software or hardware engineers on the team.

About the team
You will be joining the Software team within the MQS Center of Quantum Computing. Our team is comprised of scientists and software engineers who are building scalable software and hardware that enables quantum computing technologies.

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
• Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field
• 3+ years of industry experience with FPGA development
• Experience with a scripting language (bash, TCL, Python, etc.)
• 2+ years of experience in developing embedded software in C, C++, or Rust
• Experience performing hardware bring-up/debugging (e.g. Ethernet network adapters, SPI/I2C devices, etc...)
• Experience with standard communication interfaces (USB, PCIe, Ethernet)

Preferred Qualifications

• M.Sc. degree, or equivalent, in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or Computer Science
• Experience with soft core RISC-V implementation
• Experience with Xilinx SoC platforms
• Experience with high-level synthesis tools
• Experience developing real-time operating system (RTOS) applications
• Experience with low-level device driver and kernel development (esp. on Xilinx MPSoC or other ARM architectures)
• Experience with high-performance networking technologies (e.g. DPDK, RDMA)
• Experience with low-latency distributed computation
• Knowledge of Linux kernel internals and networking or storage subsystems architecture

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits .

USA, CA, Pasadena - 143,700.00 - 194,400.00 USD annually