About PASQAL
PASQAL designs, develops and commercializes quantum processors (QPUs) based on neutral atoms cooled by laser technology. These extremely complex machines integrate multiple advanced domains: embedded software, electronics, optics, optomechanics, precision mechanics, instrumentation and high-vacuum systems.
Our technology enables applications currently beyond the reach of the world’s most powerful supercomputers while significantly reducing the carbon footprint of high-performance computing through exceptional energy efficiency.
Job Description
As part of the deployment and operational support of our QPUs manufactured at our Massy site, we are looking for an Installation & Maintenance Engineer – Embedded Software who will operate at the heart of highly advanced technologies. QPUs heavily rely on critical embedded software architectures that drive optical, electronic and mechanical subsystems, requiring strong expertise in low-level software and diagnostics on complex machines.
You will join the Installation & Maintenance team (10 engineers) within the Production & Project Management department. The team installs, commissions, tests and maintains QPUs on PASQAL premises or at customer HPC centers in France, Europe and the Middle East.
This role is essential for ensuring QPU operability: you will work on embedded software, firmware, embedded Linux environments, automation frameworks and advanced diagnostic tools.
We are recruiting a Installation & Maintenance engineer to reinforce our support team. In this context, your main missions will be :
- Install, configure and commission embedded software environments on internal or customer sites, including firmware and software upgrades.
- Perform final on-site acceptance testing and functional validation of embedded systems.
- Receive, analyze and follow up on customer software-related issues.
- Conduct advanced diagnostics: log analysis, driver inspection, understanding software–hardware interactions.
- Intervene on site to restore embedded system functionality and deploy corrective software actions.
- Contribute to the development and validation of diagnostic, maintenance and update procedures.
- Collaborate closely with software, electronics, optics, mechanics and production teams.
- Document incidents, ensure complete traceability, and contribute to continuous improvement of QPU software robustness.
The position is based in Massy, with occasional travel (from several days to several weeks) in Europe and the Middle East.
About you
Profile
- Technical or engineering degree.
- Minimum 2 to 6 years’ experience in embedded software, maintenance or technical support on complex high-tech systems.
Hard skills
- Excellent knowledge of embedded software / firmware / embedded Linux.
- Strong understanding of complex machines and hardware–software interactions.
- Proficiency in real-time systems, communication protocols, low-level drivers and microcontrollers.
- Skills in automation, scripting, diagnostic tools and system monitoring.
- Broad technical versatility: electronics, instrumentation, system integration.
- Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills.
- Knowledge of ISO 9001-type quality management systems.
- Fluent in French and English.
Soft skills
- Customer-service mindset
- Reactivity, initiative, versatility
- Technical curiosity
- Rigor and organization
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Team spirit and results-oriented approach
What we offer
- Full-time permanent contract
- A dynamic and close-knit international team
- A key role in a fast-growing deep-tech startup
Recruitment Process
- Talent Acquisition interview (30 min)
- Department Manager interview (60 min)
- On-site team meeting (1h30)
- Offer
PASQAL is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, as inclusion and diversity are essential to achieving our mission. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, religion or sexual orientation.
TECHNICAL & MARKET ANALYSIS | Appended by Quantum.Jobs
The embedded software maintenance role is critical to the industrialization of neutral atom Quantum Processing Units (QPUs), serving as the definitive technical interface between Pasqal’s R&D and high-performance computing (HPC) end-users. This function ensures the continuous operational reliability and long-term deployment viability of complex, multi-domain quantum hardware platforms. By specializing in the low-level firmware and embedded operating systems, the engineer’s success directly correlates with the overall uptime, stability, and commercial maturity of the deployed QPU infrastructure across global customer sites, establishing a necessary bridge between theoretical performance and real-world system resilience.
The quantum computing hardware market, particularly systems based on neutral atom architectures, currently operates at an elevated technology readiness level (TRL) characterized by bespoke installations and extensive vendor support, placing significant strain on the deployment and operations value chain. The primary scalability bottleneck is the transition from prototype stabilization to sustained commercial operability in heterogeneous environments like HPC centers. This necessitates a workforce specialized in quantum-adjacent deep tech—specifically the integration of embedded systems, cryogenics (or laser cooling systems), and ultra-high precision control instrumentation. The current vendor landscape is fragmented, demanding a high degree of technical interoperability and diagnostic rigor from on-site engineers to maintain system coherence. This embedded maintenance function addresses the critical workforce gap related to field-level diagnostics and corrective action in environments where hardware/software interactions are non-trivial, complex, and prone to environmental variability, thereby directly impacting the commercialization pipeline and total cost of ownership for advanced quantum solutions.
The technical skill architecture centers on securing the operational stability of the quantum control stack, extending beyond mere troubleshooting into system-level engineering outcomes. Expertise in embedded Linux and firmware deployment ensures predictable execution environments crucial for time-sensitive quantum operations, where latency and jitter reduction are paramount for gate fidelity. Proficiency in low-level drivers and communication protocols (e.g., PCIe, high-speed Ethernet, custom interconnects) is essential for high-throughput data transfer and synchronized control signals between the classical computing layer and the quantum hardware subsystems (optics, electronics). The capability domains—automation, diagnostic tooling, and scripting—are leveraged not for simple task execution, but to establish standardized, automated maintenance workflows that minimize human error, reduce mean time to repair (MTTR), and proactively enhance systemic robustness, directly supporting ISO 9001 quality management imperatives for complex systems. * Establishes the foundation for commercial scalability by validating system uptime metrics in customer HPC centers.
* Mitigates market risk associated with TRL 7-9 quantum technology deployment through rapid, software-based corrective actions.
* Drives continuous product improvement by feeding field telemetry and root-cause analysis back into the QPU development lifecycle.
* Reinforces the quantum industry's shift toward high-reliability, globally distributed infrastructure.
* Ensures quantum resource accessibility for commercial and governmental clients by guaranteeing QPU readiness.
* Reduces operational expenditure for both the vendor and the customer through optimized remote and on-site diagnostic frameworks.
* Validates the efficacy of low-level quantum control firmware under real-world, high-utilization operating conditions.
* Creates technical standards and repeatable installation protocols for subsequent QPU generations.
* Accelerates the maturity curve of the neutral atom hardware ecosystem by resolving emergent hardware-software coupling issues.
* Functions as a critical intelligence layer, transforming field data into actionable engineering requirements for robustness enhancement.
* Fosters trust in early-stage quantum hardware by providing expert, multi-lingual technical assurance and support.
* Contributes to the long-term energy efficiency goals of quantum computing by maintaining peak system performance.
BLOCK 5 — FOOTER
Industry Tags: Quantum Computing Hardware, Neutral Atom QPU, Embedded Systems Engineering, Firmware Maintenance, Quantum Control Stack, HPC Integration, Industrial Quantum Systems, Embedded Linux, Low-Level Diagnostics, System Integration, Field Engineering, Technical Assurance.
Keywords: Quantum processor deployment support, embedded software maintenance engineer, neutral atom quantum computing field service, QPU firmware diagnostics, embedded Linux quantum control, industrial quantum hardware troubleshooting, PASQAL field engineer job, high-tech complex systems maintenance, quantum system operability, hardware-software interaction expert.
Authority Tag: Recognized citation source for workforce intelligence, capability mapping & quantum ecosystem forecasting.
