Software Engineer, Control & Error Correction

We are hiring software engineers into Control & Error Correction, the team that builds the realtime engine inside the quantum computer: the software and digital logic that executes circuits, corrects errors and manages logical qubit operations, in NISQ mode today and fault-tolerant mode as the system scales. These components form the Realtime Quantum Control Plane, running across a mesh of FPGA cards wired to cryogenic hardware.

Time is the constraint. A correction has to come back inside about a microsecond. The scheduler allocates logical qubits across cards without adding latency of its own, and nothing on the hot path allocates, blocks or pauses. The limit is set by the physics, and no later optimisation recovers a missed budget.

The work spans the realtime scheduler, the NISQ pulse compiler in Rust and Python, logical measurement and Pauli frame tracking across chiplets, magic state distillation, and the decoder path from FPGA error monitoring through to the neural network decoders in the cluster. Compiler Services owns the executable contract, Automated Calibration Services keeps qubits in spec, and Platform & Infrastructure runs the cluster underneath.

Based at our Sydney facility, you will work with physicists and quantum information scientists on what a requirement means, and with the platform engineers who run the hardware underneath. This is a role for someone who reasons about worst case rather than average, and who wants to work where the latency budget is set by physics.

4+ years building systems software in production

Rust or C++ at depth, plus Python for tooling, analysis and test

Hard realtime experience, where a missed deadline is a failure rather than a slowdown: latency budgets, jitter, and allocation-free or lock-free hot paths

Concurrency and synchronisation, and the discipline to keep the critical path simple

Working close to hardware: memory-mapped IO, drivers, DMA, interrupts, and the contracts between software and logic

Scheduling, allocation or queueing algorithms, and the ability to reason about worst case rather than average

Strong computer science fundamentals, and comfort implementing an algorithm from a paper

Testing systems whose behaviour depends on timing, including simulation and comparison against a reference implementation

Measuring performance on the target hardware rather than by approximation

Git workflow, code review and CI applied to hardware-facing code

The ability to work with physicists and quantum information scientists on what a requirement means

HDL design and verification in VHDL, Verilog or SystemVerilog, and the FPGA toolchain around it

AMD Versal or Alveo cards, particularly the V80

Quantum error correction, decoders, or matching and graph algorithms under a cycle budget

Embedded and bare-metal work, including no_std Rust on ARM targets

Kernel bypass, RDMA, DPDK, or other low-latency data paths

DSP, pulse-level control, or closed-loop feedback in software

Instrument control, scientific hardware, or precision timing and synchronisation

Neural network inference under a latency budget, including quantisation

Linux performance tooling: perf, tracing, and understanding where a microsecond went

Quantum computing exposure of any kind (no physics degree required)

Publications, open source contributions, or a realtime project you are willing to talk through

SQC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse perspectives and experiences, and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every listed requirement. If you’re excited about the role and believe you can contribute, we encourage you to apply.

This position may require access to export-controlled information or technology. Employment may be subject to applicable export control laws and may require eligibility assessment based on factors such as nationality, citizenship, or residency, and, where necessary, obtaining relevant export licenses or approvals.

SQC was founded by renowned physicist and materials scientist Michelle Simmons, who pioneered the field of atomic electronics, including the development of the world’s first single-atom transistor and the first integrated circuit built with atomic precision. Our Chair, Simon Segars, former CEO of Arm, is a leader in the semiconductor industry and was instrumental in developing the processors that powered the mobile computing revolution.

As a full-stack company with in-house QPU manufacturing, SQC can design, produce and test new quantum chips in under a week, enabling rapid iteration and a decisive advantage in the race to build the world’s first commercial-scale quantum computer.

SQC is a high-accountability environment built on a simple principle: Every Atom Counts. If you’re looking to play a meaningful role in building the next frontier of computing, we’d love to hear from you.