Quantum System Architect - Software

Qblox is a deep-tech scaleup whose mission is to accelerate the worldwide race towards scalable quantum computers. We do this by providing some of the world's most advanced quantum control stacks to a large range of customers across the globe.

Our hardware and software sit right next to the quantum chips, giving experimentalists precise control and readout of their qubits. Through our open-source interfaces qblox-scheduler and qblox-instruments, users can write and execute experiments and algorithms using Python – from defining quantum circuits to compiling down to our quantum assembly, Q1ASM.

We offer a dynamic environment where engineering meets cutting-edge physics research.

About the role

We need a Software Architect who understands the full stack – from FPGA firmware through embedded systems to high-level C++ and Python APIs – and can design the architecture that ties it all together.

You'll own the technical vision for how our control stack scales from 100+ to 1,000+ qubits and beyond. This means understanding constraints at every layer: what the FPGAs can do, how firmware schedules instructions with nanosecond precision, how the compiler can optimize quantum circuits, and how users interact with all of it through clean Python interfaces.

In this role, you will balance broad strategic vision with tactical technical depth. We need an architect who can design sophisticated, high-level abstractions while understanding the physical constraints of the hardware. 

You empower teams by providing the architectural guardrails and technical clarity they need to move fast. You measure your success by how much more effective the engineers around you become. 

Note: a physics or quantum computing background is nice to have, but not required.

What you will do

• Define the control stack architecture: Design how firmware, embedded software, compiler, and high-level APIs work together as we scale to thousands of qubits.

• Enable product vision: Work with product managers and application engineers to translate user needs into architectural decisions.

• Set technical direction collaboratively: You will shape our core software and interfaces by bringing people along with you. We’re looking for a leader who unifies teams around a shared technical vision, using deep insight and transparent communication to earn trust and drive decisions. 

• Plan for scale: Design and implement solutions that meet immediate business needs while providing a robust foundation capable of scaling 10x without requiring a fundamental re-architecture. 

• Bridge teams: Connect with hardware, firmware, software, product, and application engineering teams to help create a shared technical vision.

• Propose standards: Advocate for developer-centric technical standards that reduce friction and spark efficiency.

• Guidance: Act as a trusted mentor and technical advisor, proactively sharing your expertise and guiding teams through complex architectural and design decisions.  

• Closing the Feedback Loop : Partner with customer-facing teams and engage directly with users to evaluate the real-world impact of our architecture. 

Enough about us, what about you?

To really succeed in this role, we anticipate you will have a background encompassing:

• 10+ years of software engineering with deep experience across multiple layers of the stack. This includes languages such as Python and C/C++.

• Engaging Technical Leader: Act as a trusted and highly sought-after collaborator across engineering teams. You cultivate a vibrant technical culture, turning complex architectural debates into energizing, collaborative problem-solving sessions.  

• Embedded Systems Mastery: Deep technical proficiency in developing for Linux based resource-constrained environments. You have a proven track record of navigating complex hardware-software interfaces and optimizing for tight memory, power, and processing budgets. 

• FPGA understanding: You need to understand what FPGAs can and can't do and how firmware interacts with hardware.

• Systems Thinking: A proven track record of architecting solutions that maintain structural integrity across the entire stack, from low-level primitives to high-level APIs.

• Performance-minded: Experience optimizing for latency, throughput and determinism.

• Cross-functional collaboration: You've worked with product, applications, field teams, and know how to translate between different perspectives.

• Strong communication: Explain complex technical decisions clearly to engineers, product managers, and customers.

• Practitioner-Level Credibility: You are an architect who still speaks the language of the codebase. You build authority through expertise, ensuring your guidance is rooted in the current technical reality of the project.

• Customer-Informed Design: Proven track record of direct user engagement, with a sharp ability to translate customer pain points into robust technical requirements. You seamlessly bridge the gap between user needs and company business objectives to deliver high-impact solutions. 

Nice-to-haves

• Compiler experience: Background in compiler design, ASTs, intermediate representations (IRs), or transpilers.

• Digital signal processing or control systems experience.

• Quantum computing knowledge or scientific computing background.

• Scientific/quantum ecosystem: Experience with quantum or scientific Python software such as Qiskit, Q-CTRL, QUA, Cirq, CUDA-Q, QCoDeS, NumPy, SciPy, xarray, pytest, etc.

• Distributed systems: Coordinating multiple processors or hardware units with tight timing requirements.