QPU Software Engineer

Xapply; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Job summary

QuEra seeks a Software Engineer to join the QPU SW Engineering team, crafting software that orchestrates and controls the quantum hardware stack—from lasers and FPGAs to system configuration and diagnostics.

You'll work with physicists, systems engineers, and hardware teams to build scalable, reliable software for quantum operations and tooling for automation and testing.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in CS/EE/Physics or related field.
• 5+ years in software for hardware control or distributed systems.
• Strong Python and/or C/C++ with hardware interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Design software to orchestrate quantum experiments and real-time control.
• Develop APIs and middleware between hardware layers and orchestration software.
• Implement reliable communication across embedded and distributed components.
• Collaborate with scientists to translate requirements into features.
• Contribute to diagnostics, calibration, and performance monitoring.
• Build tooling for automation, testing, and system state management.
• Participate in bring-up, integration tests, and cross-disciplinary debugging.
• Contribute to software architecture decisions and code reviews.

Skills

Python

C/C++

Real-time systems

Embedded hardware control

System integration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/EE/Physics

Tools

SPI

I2C

UART

Ethernet

Job description

Role Overview

We are seeking a Software Engineer to join our QPU SW Engineering team. In this role, you will develop the software that orchestrates and controls our quantum hardware stack—from real-time control of lasers and FPGAs to system-wide configuration, diagnostics, and feedback. Working closely with physicists, systems architects, and hardware engineers, you’ll build the tools and infrastructure that enable precise, reliable, and scalable quantum operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement software systems for orchestrating quantum experiments, including pulse sequence generation, device coordination, and real-time system control.
• Develop and maintain APIs and middleware that connect hardware control layers (e.g., FPGA, DACs, timing systems) with higher-level orchestration software and compilers.
• Implement reliable communication and synchronization protocols across embedded and distributed system components.
• Collaborate with system architects and physicists to translate experimental requirements into testable, high-performance software features.
• Contribute to diagnostic and calibration routines for hardware validation and performance monitoring.
• Develop tooling to support automation, test infrastructure, system state management, and logging.
• Participate in system bring-up, integration testing, and cross-disciplinary debugging efforts.
• Contribute to software architecture decisions, code reviews, and best practices across the engineering team.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience developing software for hardware control, embedded systems, or distributed systems.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C/C++, and experience working with hardware interfaces (e.g., SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet).
• Experience with real-time systems or hardware-in-the-loop control environments.
• Familiarity with timing systems (e.g., PTP), and communication stacks.
• Proficiency in system integration, testing, and performance tuning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with scientific instrumentation, lab automation, or quantum hardware control systems.
• Familiarity with FPGA systems, DAC/ADC control, or pulse sequencing frameworks.
• Exposure to embedded Linux, RTOS, or custom firmware development.
• Knowledge of calibration, feedback, or control loop algorithms.
• Experience in multidisciplinary teams working at the intersection of hardware, software, and science.

The approximate base salary range for this position is $130,000 - $170,000.

We consistently monitor external market data and update base salary ranges accordingly. We determine base compensation decisions on several factors, including as geographic placement, role-specific knowledge, skills, and/or experience. In addition to our base salary offerings, we also provide equity grants for all new hires.

QuEra is committed to cultivating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We highly value diversity in our current and future employees and do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.