{"id":3644883,"url":"https://alion.io/job/iqm-quantum-computers-rd-site-lead","title":"R&D Site Lead","company":{"id":1040073,"name":"IQM Quantum Computers","domain":"iqm.tech","url":"https://alion.io/company/iqm-2","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Teamtailor","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":9,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":25,"computed_at":"2026-11-05T05:54:30Z"}},"role":"Quantum","role_family":"Quantum","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["London, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"HPC","optional":false},{"name":"IQM","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-29T07:34:52Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-29","last_verified_at":"2026-11-05T20:44:08Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":7,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":7},"description":"At IQM, we build world-leading quantum computers for the well-being of humankind. We design systems to tackle computational challenges beyond the practical limits of classical machines. Our work sits at the edge of science and engineering. It's complex, demanding, and deeply collaborative. We turn deep research into reliable, full-stack systems that drive discoveries in fields like medicine, energy, and technology, reshaping how the world computes.\nJoin the team that gives quantum a heartbeat.\nThe work\nIQM is opening an R&D site in Edinburgh, UK, and this is the first hire. There’s no team, no lab routine and no local playbook yet. You’ll build all of it while the work is already underway.\nThe site anchors a collaborative R&D program with a UK HPC centre and a quantum error correction partner. The technical focus is where IQM quantum systems meet classical HPC: hybrid quantum-classical workflows, real-time decoding and control-stack integration. Getting this interface right is central to running error-corrected quantum workloads alongside classical supercomputers.\nIn the early phase, you’ll work hands-on in the technical work alongside your first hires. As the site grows, you move into a team-of-teams role, leading team leads rather than individual contributors. You’ll report to a VP in our Quantum Systems organisation and act as IQM’s technical and organisational lead in the UK partnership.\nWhat you’ll actually do\nBuild the site from zero. You set up ways of working, tools, facilities, IT, compute and partner access, together with our internal support functions and partners. You recruit and line-manage the first engineers and scientists, then the team leads who follow, and set the culture the site grows from.\n\nLead the technical work. You work hands-on on integrating IQM systems with HPC environments, from hybrid workflows to real-time decoding and control-stack integration, and you set the technical direction for the team.\n\nRun the partnership day to day. You own the R&D relationship with the HPC centre and the QEC partner, which covers:\njoint work plans and regular technical meetings\n\nintegration, testing and benchmarking\n\nclear agreements on IP and data\n\nWith our IP team, you make sure publications and know-how transfer follow the collaboration agreements.\n\nOwn the program’s delivery With the program’s project manager and Finance, you own the site budget and forecasts and keep costs aligned with the collaboration’s commitments. You prepare progress reports and milestone reviews for partners and stakeholders. On-time milestones and sound financial governance are part of how this role is measured\n\nConnect the UK site to the rest of IQM. You work with R&D teams at our other sites so results flow into the global roadmap and products, and knowledge moves in both directions. Outside IQM, you represent us in the UK quantum ecosystem and find the collaborations that let the site grow.\n\nWhat we’re looking for\n5+ years leading R&D teams, including building one from scratch and scaling it. You’ve hired, onboarded, line-managed and developed people, not only led projects.\n\nA strong quantum computing background, with depth in quantum error correction and/or quantum hardware and control systems, from industry or academia. You also understand HPC environments and what hybrid quantum-classical computing demands: software integration, scheduling and low-latency classical processing.\n\nExperience on collaborative R&D projects, including budgets, milestone reporting, cost compliance and resource planning across organisations.\n\nA PhD in physics, electrical engineering, computer science or a related field, or equivalent research depth.\n\nYou solve problems before they’re handed to you, and you explain complex work clearly to technical partners, funding bodies, IQM leadership and the wider quantum community.\n\nBonus: An existing network in the UK quantum and HPC ecosystem.\n\nBonus: Hands-on experience with real-time decoding, control-stack integration or hybrid workflows on HPC systems.\n\nWhy IQM?\nFull-stack quantum computing: From quantum hardware to software layers and beyond, we build across the full-stack.\n\nHigh-performance playground: We aim high, and we know sustainable performance only works when life outside work does too-hybrid setups, flexible hours.\n\nNever the smartest: You won’t always be the smartest person in the room. Neither will we. Expect to learn constantly - from each other and beyond with IQM’s Learning Hub, LinkedIn Learning, and a team-based L&D budget.\n\nApproachable leadership: Flat hierarchy, direct access. Feel free to approach any leaders. They're friendlier than they look!\n\nThe sweet spot: Big enough to matter. Small enough to move fast. Growing between a startup and a corporation. We’re in the phase where top performers get noticed.\n\nBigger than IQM: Our people build know-how for the entire quantum ecosystem. We publish papers, run hackathons, and help shape a market that's still being defined.\n\nThe future of computing won’t build itself. You might be one of the few who do.\nMeet our people and learn more about IQM on ourstories page.\n\nExplore ourscientific publications.\n\nWe'll start interviews and move forward with hiring as soon as we meet strong candidates. Please submit your application soon.\n600M€+ Total Funding | 400+ Team Members | 30+ Quantum Computers Built | 300+ Patents Filed | 10 Location Globally","description_format":"text","description_chars":5415,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"phd","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United Kingdom","iso":"GB","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Hardware","Science & Engineering","Quantum Science & Computing","Quantum Computing Hardware"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-02T22:30:20Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":6,"expected_fill_days":25,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-11-05T05:54:30Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/iqm-quantum-computers-rd-site-lead","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/iqm-quantum-computers-rd-site-lead.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-05T23:07:30Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":4222,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-06T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1040073},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1040073"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fiqm-quantum-computers-rd-site-lead"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fiqm-quantum-computers-rd-site-lead"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fiqm-quantum-computers-rd-site-lead"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/iqm-quantum-computers-rd-site-lead\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fiqm-quantum-computers-rd-site-lead"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3644883}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"iqm.tech","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3644883},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}