Summer 2027 Internship - Quantum Software (QSW)

Infleqtion; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 28,000 - 41,000; Part time

Job summary

Infleqtion, Inc. in Chicago is offering a Quantum Software internship within the QSW division. Interns work closely with Quantum Software Engineers and are paired with a mentor on the team.

The program runs for 10 to 12 weeks and includes weekly 1:1 meetings, research talks, and exposure to cutting-edge quantum software from application to middleware layers. The primary internship location is Chicago, IL, with opportunities to engage in government and commercial project work, and to publish

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree in computer science, engineering, physics or mathematics in the US.
• Strong programming skills with Python; ability to rapidly learn Python if starting from another language.
• Familiarity with quantum software frameworks (Cirq or Qiskit) is preferred.
• Experience with cloud and backend development concepts is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Conduct R&D toward quantum technology advances with focus on quantum compilation.
• Deploy software optimizations to our cloud platform Superstaq with engineering practices.
• Interface with customers to understand needs and provide timely support.
• Contribute to government and commercial proposals and execution on global programs.
• Collaborate with experimental physicists and software engineers to bridge theory and practice.
• Publish research findings and present at conferences.
• Keep up to date with quantum architectures, algorithms, and applications.
• Provide guidance to teammates and foster a collaborative research environment.
• Tailor and apply quantum algorithms to real-world problems; analyze performance vs classical methods.
• Expand or develop new quantum algorithms for real-world applications.

Skills

Python

C/C++

Julia

Programming proficiency

Education

Pursuing degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Physics/Mathematics

Tools

Cirq

Qiskit

Stim

FastAPI

PostgreSQL/SQLAlchemy

GCP

AWS

GitHub

HTML/CSS

React

PyQt

Job description

This internship program is within our Quantum Software (QSW) division. Interns work closely with Infleqtion’s Quantum Software Engineers and are paired with a mentor on the team. This program is intended to run for 10 to 12 weeks. Features of the program include:

• Contribution to cutting-edge quantum software solutions from application to middleware layers
• Weekly 1:1 meetings with your mentor to discuss summer projects and professional development
• Research talks from Infleqtion engineers and experts in the industry
• Primary internship location is Chicago, IL

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities outlined below include potential functions of the role. Depending on business needs, this role may perform a combination of some or all of the following duties. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned.

• Conduct R&D toward cutting-edge advances in quantum technology with a focus on quantum compilation, similar to work described in https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.05157 and https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13247
• Deploy software optimizations to our cloud platform Superstaq using industry-grade software engineering procedures including documentation, linting, testing, and type-checking
• Interface with customers of Superstaq to understand their needs and support them in a timely fashion
• Contribute to development of government and commercial proposals and execution on global programs
• Collaborate with experimental physicists and software engineers to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practical implementation
• Engage with the broader scientific community by publishing research findings in scientific journals and presenting at conferences
• Stay up to date with the latest developments in quantum computer architecture, quantum compilation, quantum algorithms and applications, and related fields
• Provide guidance and support to other team members, fostering a collaborative research environment
• Tailor and apply quantum algorithms to real-world problems, analyzing their performance compared to classical methods
• Expand existing or develop new quantum algorithms for various types of real-world applications

• Currently attending a degree program (computer science, engineering, physics, mathematics, or a directly related field) in the US, preferably in penultimate academic year when returning to degree program after completion of internship
• High proficiency in programming, with fluency in Python preferable or proficiency in alternative languages (e.g. C/C++ or Julia) with the ability to rapidly upskill in Python

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with open-source quantum software frameworks such as Cirq or Qiskit (ideal candidates will have experience not only using these libraries but also modifying them)
• Experience with advanced open-source quantum software frameworks such as Stim
• Familiarity with best practices of professional software engineering such as coverage, integration tests, type checking, unit tests, and version control
• Experience with backend development with tools such as FastAPI for web frameworks and PostgreSQL/SQLAlchemy for databases
• Experience with cloud development, especially on GCP and AWS
• Familiarity with CI/CD, automated actions, issue tracking, version control, and other features on GitHub
• Familiarity with security core best-practices such as access control, encryption at rest, key rotation, and logging
• Exposure to or interest in front-end / GUI development, e.g., HTML/CSS, React, PyQt.

Required Materials

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Optionally, sample(s) of a past project (e.g., software project, technical/scientific writing, etc.) relevant to the duties and the responsibilities for this internship.
• Sharing publicly-available GitHub (or similar) projects is strongly recommended