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.
TECHNICAL & MARKET ANALYSIS | Appended by Quantum.Jobs
The structural transition of the quantum computing sector from laboratory-scale experiments to industrial-grade scalability necessitates a sophisticated layer of systems architecture focused on the control plane. This role type addresses the critical bottleneck of managing high-fidelity qubit control and readout across heterogeneous hardware-software interfaces. By orchestrating the integration of low-latency firmware with high-level application abstractions, this function enables the deterministic scaling of quantum processors from hundreds to thousands of physical qubits. Market indicators emphasize that the stability and interoperability of the control stack are now primary determinants of technology readiness levels (TRL) for full-stack providers. Consequently, the software architect serves as a strategic facilitator for the transition toward fault-tolerant quantum computing systems within the global deep-tech value chain.
The global quantum ecosystem is currently navigating a pivotal maturation phase where the primary challenge has shifted from fundamental physics to system-level engineering and integration. As hardware modalities diversify across superconducting circuits, trapped ions, and photonic systems, the industry focus is pivoting toward the standardization of the software stack to mitigate vendor lock-in and fragmentation. National quantum strategies and private capital flows are increasingly prioritizing the development of robust control systems that can bridge the gap between noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices and future error-corrected architectures. This shift requires a departure from ad-hoc experimental setups toward modular, high-performance computing (HPC) integrated environments.
Macro-level constraints, specifically the acute shortage of systems-level talent capable of operating across the hardware-software divide, remain a significant risk to the roadmap of scalable quantum computing. Organizations are increasingly adopting hybrid classical-quantum paradigms, where quantum processing units (QPUs) function as specialized accelerators within a broader heterogeneous HPC infrastructure. This integration demands a high degree of architectural integrity to manage the rigorous timing, determinism, and data throughput requirements inherent in real-time quantum control.
Furthermore, the emergence of open-source interfaces and standardized intermediate representations (IRs) is fostering a more collaborative ecosystem. However, the lack of mature developer-centric tools at the firmware and embedded layers continues to cause friction in the innovation cycle. The role of the system architect is therefore not merely technical but ecosystem-enabling, as it establishes the architectural guardrails necessary for multi-disciplinary teams to synchronize development efforts. This structural coherence is vital for reducing the time-to-market for early-stage commercial applications in sectors such as materials science, cryptography, and complex system optimization.
The capability architecture for this role type centers on the vertical integration of the quantum control stack, requiring mastery of FPGA-based firmware, real-time embedded systems, and high-level software abstractions. At the foundational layer, a deep understanding of hardware-software co-design is essential for managing the nanosecond-level precision required for qubit manipulation. This includes the development of efficient compilers and transpilers that can optimize quantum circuits for specific hardware constraints while maintaining portability through clean API definitions. These technical domains are critical for the structural throughput of the system, as they directly influence the fidelity and latency of quantum operations.
Beyond low-level primitives, the role requires the design of scalable software architectures that maintain performance as system complexity increases tenfold. This involves establishing rigorous technical standards for interoperability and developer efficiency across the entire stack. These capabilities are vital for bridging the gap between hardware engineering and application development, ensuring that user requirements are translated into robust, high-integrity technical specifications. The resulting architectural clarity reduces systemic friction and facilitates the seamless offloading of computational subtasks within hybrid classical-quantum workflows. - Accelerates the deterministic scaling of quantum control stacks to support high-count qubit processors
- Mitigates integration friction between low-level hardware primitives and high-level software interfaces
- Strengthens the technology readiness levels of full-stack quantum computing platforms for industrial adoption
- Facilitates the transition from experimental prototypes to modular, scalable commercial-grade systems
- Harmonizes cross-functional development cycles across firmware, software, and application engineering teams
- Optimizes system-level throughput by reducing latency in real-time quantum control and readout loops
- Promotes ecosystem-level interoperability through the advocacy of open-source standards and intermediate representations
- Reduces the systemic risk of architectural obsolescence during the transition to fault-tolerant computing
- Supports the global quantum workforce by establishing clear architectural guardrails and technical clarity
- Improves the reproducibility of quantum experiments through the development of standardized control software
- Enhances the competitive positioning of deep-tech scaleups within the international quantum value chain
- Protects long-term capital investments by ensuring software foundations are capable of 10x scalabilityIndustry Tags: Quantum Control Systems, Software Architecture, FPGA Firmware, Embedded Systems, Scalable Quantum Computing, High Performance Computing, System Integration, Quantum Software Stack, Deep Tech Scaleup, Qubit Control
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