About Pasqal
Pasqal has the ambition of building and developing Quantum Processing Units (QPU) enabling highly performant computation using neutral atoms manipulated with lasers. On the hardware level, the complexity of the system makes this journey unique and interesting.
Professional context
In the Platform Architecture team of the HW department, we are responsible for building and developing the Hardware platform vision of the Quantum Process Unit systems (with the help of all the other R&D Hardware teams).
The concept of the platform is to be understood as a complete hardware system standard, to be used both for QPU as products and for internal QPUs dedicated to R&D projects. The platform design consists mainly in a clear modular functional and technical decomposition. QPU platforms are anticipated to evolve through generations (major design upgrades), and versions (minor design upgrades).
Main responsibilities:
- Manage platform evolution: Collect, analyze and prioritize needs from stakeholders (internal customers, product department, R&D teams, project managers, etc.).
- Manage preliminary studies for new design / features / improved performance with R&D teams, to launch new development projects.
- Define functional and technical architecture choices in collaboration with R&D teams.
- Evaluate architectures in terms of maturity and requirement compliance.
- Write specifications and ensure traceability with the needs
- Participate in design review meetings and validate design choice with respect to high-level system requirements.
- Manage platform configuration evolution during integration phase for each platform.
- Participate in system and subsystem validation strategies.
- Validate QPU configuration before launching production.
Additional missions:
- You could act as a project manager for specific internal architecture projects.
- You could be involved in calls for tenders or request for proposals.
- You could traval to customer sites.
About you
- PhD or Master Degree in Physics, with a focus on AMO physics
- Around 10 years exeprience industrial experience in complex system development: aeronautics, medical, defense, telecommunications, naval, automotive, industrial computers...
- Around 2 years experience working in system architecture would be appreciated
Hard skills:
- Experienced with complex hardware systems and instrumentation (for instance mechanics, optics, electronics, thermal management, atomic physics...)
- Understanding of light matter interactions.
- Interest in industrialization of complex systems.
- Experience with modeling language like UML or SysML and/or MBSE tools.
- Experience with requirement management tools.
- Nice to have:
- Experience working with neutral atoms.
- A certification in complex system architecture.
Soft skills:
- Autonomy, rigor and organization.
- Communication and listening skills.
- Proven ability to collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams.
- Good level of written and spoken English and French.
What we offer
- Beautiful brand new offices in Palaiseau, France
- A flexible rhythm of remote work 2 days per week
- Type of contract : permanent contract
- A key role in a growing scale-up
Recruitment process
- An interview with our Talent Acquisition Specialist of 30'.
- An exchange with the Engineering manager 50'.
- An onsite visit 1h30: a teamfit interview and a VP interview.
- An 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 System Architect function is structurally essential for scaling quantum hardware from bespoke laboratory prototypes toward industrialized, field-deployable products. This role exists to formalize the modular decomposition of complex Quantum Processing Units (QPUs), establishing interface standards and design protocols that ensure cross-functional coherence between physics, engineering, and product teams. The establishment of stable, versioned hardware platforms directly mitigates TRL gaps and accelerates the technology translation pipeline, providing a predictable foundation necessary for both internal R&D cycles and eventual commercial deployment across neutral atom computing infrastructures.
The quantum hardware value chain is characterized by a persistent challenge in translating complex, multidisciplinary R&D into reproducible, high-uptime systems. System Architects bridge the critical chasm between foundational scientific discovery and engineering productization, especially within emerging modalities like neutral atom quantum computation which require precise integration of ultra-high vacuum, cryogenic, optical, and microwave subsystems. Macro constraints center on the industrialization bottleneck: the process of migrating custom experimental control systems into commercially viable, standards-compliant platforms capable of supporting generational upgrades and modular feature additions.
Vendor fragmentation and the necessity for robust, long-term system evolution demand a formal architectural approach. Without defined interfaces and validated component lifecycles, scalability remains intrinsically limited, resulting in protracted integration phases and increased lifetime operational costs. The current industry focus lies on bridging classical and quantum capabilities at scale, requiring architecture roles to proactively manage technical debt, specify functional requirements, and ensure compliance with stringent performance benchmarks across multiple engineering domains (e.g., thermal management, high-precision optics, and embedded electronics). This strategic systems integration determines the ultimate path to fault tolerance and commercial application readiness for next-generation QPU deployments.
Effective system design for quantum computing platforms mandates a deep-level understanding of multi-domain physics coupled with formal systems engineering practices. Capability domains span requirements management (traceability, compliance evaluation), model-based systems engineering (MBSE using tools like SysML/UML for rigorous system decomposition), and rigorous platform configuration management necessary for version control across hardware generations. This architectural skillset is critical because it institutionalizes the decision-making process for trade-offs between physical performance (e.g., coherence, fidelity), manufacturability, and cost. Mastery of these tools ensures that complex subsystems integrate predictably, enabling efficient transition from R&D to validated production while maintaining strict adherence to high-level system performance specifications required for advanced QPU operation.
Accelerates the maturation of quantum technology readiness levels.
Standardizes subsystem interfaces for enhanced hardware modularity.
Reduces systemic integration friction across physics and engineering teams.
Formalizes product roadmaps to support generational QPU platform upgrades.
Optimizes long-term platform maintainability and total cost of ownership.
Drives predictable validation cycles for new quantum hardware features.
Establishes clear traceability between customer requirements and physical design.
Mitigates technical debt inherent in rapidly evolving quantum computing architectures.
Enhances the manufacturing reproducibility of complex QPU systems.
Ensures compliance with high-level performance specifications for neutral atom systems.
Supports efficient scale-up from experimental deployment to productized offerings.
Governs the technical evolution strategy for quantum computing platforms.
Industry Tags: Quantum Computing Hardware, System Architecture, Neutral Atom QPU, Model-Based Systems Engineering, AMO Physics, Complex Systems Integration, Hardware Industrialization, Platform Engineering, Requirements Management, Photonics, Cryogenics
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