Senior Software Engineer, Back - end

Senior Software Engineer, Back-end

Founded in 2017, Q-CTRL has grown to become the global leader in quantum. We're using control to solve the hardest problems facing quantum technology, improving hardware performance and accelerating pathways to useful quantum computers and other technologies. As a product-led company, we bring together diverse teams such as product, design, engineering and research to help achieve our mission of making quantum technology useful. Join us to help shape the quantum future.

As a Software Engineer on the Boulder Opal team, you will work with brilliant engineers and researchers to design and build a scalable, high-performance backend system while directly contributing to our quantum controller infrastructure.

A key part of your role will be maintaining and evolving the compiler stack that translates OpenQASM3 + OpenPulse programs for low-level quantum controllers, bridging the gap between high-level quantum programming and physical execution on QPUs. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, product, infrastructure, frontend, and research, ensuring end-to-end delivery of cutting-edge solutions that power our SDKs and cloud-based offerings.

This role is ideal for someone passionate about backend engineering and systems-level programming, with an interest in quantum computing and scientific software.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Build the backbone of quantum tech: Design, develop, and optimize scalable backend services in Python.
• Own the compiler stack: Maintain and evolve the compiler that translates OpenQASM3 + OpenPulse programs into low-level controller instructions.
• Bridge research and engineering: Work closely with world-class researchers and quantum engineers, translating experimental needs into production-ready code and debugging real-world execution challenges.
• Experiment on quantum hardware: Get hands-on with QPUs, validating compiler output and controller behaviors through real device experiments.
• Engineer for performance: Deliver high-efficiency service-to-service communication using modern protocols (gRPC, GraphQL, REST).
• Raise the bar on quality: Shape and enforce best practices for clean, secure, and reliable code while contributing to robust testing and documentation.
• Shape the future stack: Help define the software practices, tools, and design patterns that will power the next generation of quantum control systems.
• Deliver end-to-end solutions: Collaborate with product, frontend, and infrastructure teams to ship integrated solutions used across Q-CTRL's products.
• Other duties within the Employee's skills and experience, or with reasonable training.

Ideally You'll Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of backend software development experience with Python.
• Proven experience writing maintainable, testable code in a professional setting.
• Proven ability to mentor junior team members and accelerate their contributions.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across cross-functional teams.
• Experience with quantum hardware control systems (or similar) or pulse-level programming (e.g., OpenQASM3, Qiskit Pulse, Qua).
• A track record of leading or mentoring in technical projects, particularly in early-stage or research and development-heavy environments.

It Would Be Fantastic (But Not Essential) If You Bring:

• Familiarity with formal language design (e.g. LL(*) or PEG parsers) and compiler theory or ecosystems (e.g. LLVM/MLIR).
• Hands-on experience with modern APIs like gRPC, GraphQL, or REST.
• Comfortable working with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and cloud infrastructure tools.
• Knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, or database scaling techniques.
• Familiarity with popular Python web frameworks (Django, Flask, FastAPI).
• Experience designing efficient algorithms, statistical models, or data pipelines to process and analyze large-scale experimental datasets.
• Experience with implementing CPython extension modules with systems programming languages such as C++ or Rust for accelerating Python programs.
• Knowledge or exposure to adjacent technologies such as FPGA programming, low-latency or real-time systems.
• Knowledge or exposure to experimental quantum physics or superconducting qubit systems.

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.