Senior Software Engineer, Back-end (Boulder Opal)

Q-CTRL; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity potential

Competitive benefits

Flexible work hours

Job summary

A leading quantum software company in Los Angeles seeks a Senior Back-end Engineer to design and optimize scalable applications in Python. You will work alongside engineers and researchers, translating cutting-edge research into production solutions. This role offers a salary range of $135,000 - $213,000, reflecting skills, experience, and location. Join us to contribute to innovative quantum technology and enjoy flexible working conditions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of backend engineering experience with Python or similar.
• Experience collaborating across research and engineering.
• Experience designing efficient algorithms or data pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize scalable backend applications.
• Create high-efficiency service-to-service communication.
• Work with researchers to translate research code into production solutions.
• Partner with teams to ship integrated features.
• Develop product features promoting flexibility and scalability.

Skills

Backend engineering experience

Problem-solving skills

Collaboration

Proactive mindset

Tools

Python

Rust

C++

gRPC

GraphQL

REST

AWS

GCP

Azure

Django

Flask

FastAPI

Kubernetes

Job description

About the team

At Q-CTRL, Quantum Computing Engineering is a global team of software engineers and infrastructure experts, combining deep technical expertise with a startup mindset to deliver real impact through software innovation. Our work is underpinned by robust standards, and by embracing the three virtues. Our team excels in areas across back-end, front-end, machine learning, and platform engineering.

We transform Q-CTRL’s world‑leading technological breakthroughs into commercial software products with applications across defense, research, and industry. We work closely with Product, Design, and Research teams to accelerate the path to quantum advantage worldwide.

About the role

As a Senior Back-end Engineer on the Boulder Opal Scale Up team, you’ll be at the forefront of building the software backbone that powers the future of quantum technology. You’ll work side by side with brilliant engineers and researchers, designing and delivering scalable, high‑performance systems that bring groundbreaking science into the real world.

If you’re excited about building robust systems, tackling complex problems, and exploring the edge where software meets quantum physics, this is your opportunity to make a real impact in one of the most exciting fields in technology today.

What you'll be doing:

• Build impactful systems: Design, develop, and optimize scalable backend applications in Python that power real‑world quantum technology.
• Engineer for performance: Create high‑efficiency service‑to‑service communication using modern protocols.
• Bridge science and engineering: Work hand‑in‑hand with researchers to translate cutting‑edge research code into production‑ready solutions, while sharing engineering best practices.
• Deliver end‑to‑end solutions: Partner with product, frontend, and infrastructure teams to ship integrated features used across Q-CTRL’s products.
• Shape reusable architectures: Develop product features that promote flexibility, reuse, and scalability across multiple business cases.

Ideally you'll have:

• 5+ years of backend engineering experience with Python, Rust, C++, or similar.
• A track record of collaborating across research and engineering to solve hard technical challenges.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and a proactive, ownership‑driven mindset.
• Experience designing and implementing efficient algorithms, statistical models, or large‑scale data pipelines.

Bonus points (not essential, but exciting if you bring them!):

• Hands‑on experience with modern APIs (gRPC, GraphQL, REST).
• Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and infrastructure management.
• Familiarity with Python web frameworks like Django, Flask, or FastAPI.
• Proficiency with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, CircleCI) and container orchestration tools like Kubernetes.
• Hands‑on experience in observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, Tempo, AWS CloudWatch) for monitoring metrics, traces, and logs.
• Exposure in data orchestration and warehousing (e.g., Airflow, Snowflake, dbt, or comparable platforms)

Salary

The base salary for this position is targeted between $135,000 - $213,000 and will ultimately be determined by specific job‑related skills, experience, level, location and other contributing factors. Depending on the position offered, this role may be eligible for annual discretionary bonuses, equity and other forms of compensation outside of the targeted range. For more information on benefits at Q-CTRL, please visit our careers page at https://q-ctrl.com/careers.

Should you have any questions related to the compensation package, please speak directly with the Talent Acquisition representative.

About Q-CTRL

Q-CTRL is the global leader in AI‑powered quantum control infrastructure software. We build the tools that make quantum technology useful, solving the hardest challenges in quantum computing and quantum sensing to deliver real‑world impact.

Founded in 2017, we operate globally with offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, and Oxford. Our teams bring together technical and multi‑disciplinary expertise across the product lifecycle, and we’re hiring talent to help scale every part of the business. We work quickly to turn cutting‑edge science into deployable technology.

In 2024 we raised US$113 million in Series B funding, the largest aggregate investment for a quantum software company. Six months later we delivered the first commercial quantum advantage with Ironstone Opal, our field‑validated quantum navigation solution for defense and industry.

At Q-CTRL, we prioritize outcomes over hours. We offer flexibility, equity potential, and competitive benefits that reflect our high‑performance culture. If you’re ready to help shape the future of quantum, we’d love to hear from you!

Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Please be advised that our communications will only come from the @q-ctrl.com domain. All our active job postings are available on our company website.

To recruitment agencies, we do not accept unsolicited branded profiles and are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.