Scientific Software Engineer - Virtual Machine & Emulation
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 26, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 9, 2025. QuEra Computing scores B on the Alion truth index.
Summary
QuEra Computing Inc. seeks a creative and collaborative Scientific Software Engineer to help solve the unique software challenges of integrating high-level applications into state-of-the-art neutral-atom quantum computers. You will have the opportunity to work with a vibrant scientific software team and a community of industry and academic collaborators and to help our growing team of diverse experts address fascinating challenges, ranging from classical compiler techniques to direct integration with low-level hardware components.
Directly interacting with our compiler toolchain Kirin, you will be building QuEra’s multi-level hardware simulation tools across compiler pipeline together with experimental & computational physicists. This involves the development of new features and infrastructure for simulating hardware execution. You will be co-designing compilers and hardware simulation infrastructure for the next generation of quantum computing using cutting-edge neutral-atom and quantum error correction technologies. This new direction involves multiple new challenges in both engineering and science.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain a multi-level hardware virtual machine that emulates QuEra’s domain-specific language (DSL) for pulse-level programs and its associated compilation stack
- Support integration into control stack
- Collaborate with Quantum Error Correction (QEC) scientists and hardware control team to plan and simulate hardware features required for executing QEC algorithms
- Collaborate with other members of the scientific software team to perform gate-level and atom-move hardware simulation
Qualifications
- Masters in Computer Science with focus on quantum computation/architecture/programming language/compiler, or equivalent professional experience
- Enthusiastic about building tools used by non-software developers
- Experience with bytecode interpreters, CPython interpreter
- Experience with modern C/C++ projects and tooling around those projects
- Experience with hardware emulation and VM development, especially for novel/heterogeneous architectures
- Experience with Static Single Assignment intermediate representations-based compiler
- Knowledge of the full lifecycle of software development, including version control, code review, testing, CI/CD, logging, profiling, debugging, and documentation
Preferred Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Computer Science with focus on quantum computation/architecture/programming language/compiler, or equivalent professional experience
- Experience with compiled languages such as Rust, C++, Julia
- Experience with FPGA programming
- knowledge in quantum physics and AMO physics
- knowledge in quantum error correction
- Contribution to existing open-source libraries
The approximate base salary range for this position is $102,400 - $166,400.
We consistently monitor external market data and update base salary ranges accordingly. We determine base compensation decisions on several factors, including as geographic placement, role-specific knowledge, skills, and/or experience. In addition to our base salary offerings, we also provide equity grants for all new hires.
QuEra is committed to cultivating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We highly value diversity in our current and future employees and do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.