Senior Software Engineer, Control & Calibration

Quantum computing holds the promise of humanity's mastery over the natural world, but only if we can build a real quantum computer. PsiQuantum is on a mission to build the first real, useful quantum computers, capable of delivering the world-changing applications that the technology has long promised. We know that means we will need to build a system with roughly 1 million qubits that supports fault tolerant error correction within a scalable architecture, and a data center footprint.

By harnessing the laws of quantum physics, quantum computers can provide exponential performance increases over today's most powerful supercomputers, offering the potential for extraordinary advances across a broad range of industries including climate, energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials design, and many more.

PsiQuantum has determined the fastest path to delivering a useful quantum computer, years earlier than the rest of the industry. Our architecture is based on silicon photonics which gives us the ability to produce our components at Tier-1 semiconductor fabs such as GlobalFoundries where we leverage high-volume semiconductor manufacturing processes, the same processes that are already producing billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics applications. We also benefit from the quantum mechanics reality that photons don't feel heat or electromagnetic interference, allowing us to take advantage of existing cryogenic cooling systems and industry standard fiber connectivity.

In 2024, PsiQuantum announced two government-funded projects to support the build-out of our first Quantum Data Centers and utility-scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia and Chicago, Illinois. Both projects are backed by nations that understand quantum computing's potential impact and the need to scale this technology to unlock that potential. And we won't just be building the hardware, but also the fault tolerant quantum applications that will provide industry-transforming results.

Quantum computing is not just an evolution of the decades-old advancement in compute power. It provides the key to mastering our future, not merely discovering it. The potential is enormous, and we have the plan to make it real. Come join us.

There's much more work to be done and we are looking for exceptional talent to join us on this extraordinary journey!

Job Summary:

The Control Software & OS Core Team at PsiQuantum works closely alongside engineers and scientists in the electronics, system architecture, and validation teams and is responsible for building the scalable, distributed, fault-tolerant control plane and operating system for utility scale photonic quantum computers. Our team is responsible for orchestration, scheduling, kernel architecture, co-design, calibration, validation, providing abstractions, systems, and operating software for the immense heterogenous fabric of co-processors, networks, and photonics that are critical to the success of our company's goal of building the world's first useful quantum computer. As a Senior Software Engineer, Calibration & Control you will design and implement the next generation of calibration algorithms, controls, and software that keep our quantum processors in spec 247x365.

Responsibilities:

• Architect and implement calibration and adaptive control software in Rust (no-std + async), C++20, and Python targeting x86, GPUs, DPUs, and embedded MCUs.
• Design closed-loop optimization algorithms (e.g., Bayesian, stochastic gradient descent, ADAM) that maximize system performance and stability under drift and environmental noise.
• Integrate with high-speed fabrics: libfabric, RDMA (RoCEv2/GDR), and FPGA PCIe DMA endpoints.
• Build scalable simulation/emulation harnesses (Python, Rust, cuQuantum) to de-risk algorithms before system bring-up.
• Implement hooks for observability metrics, traces, SLOs and partner with sibling teams to integrate into our observability infrastructure.
• Collaborate daily with physics, validation, firmware, and FPGA teams to co-design HW/SW interfaces and define calibration priorities.
• Conduct rigorous code reviews, design reviews, and root-cause analyses; uphold our bar for deterministic, safety-critical code.

Experience/Qualifications:

• 5+ years professional software engineering; 3+ years in feedback-control, calibration, robotics, or analogous real-time domains.
• Fluency in Python or Julia,particularly in the context of scientific computing, AI/ML, or signal processing.
• Fluency in Rust and/or C++17+; comfortable writing lock-free, wait-free, and numerically stable code paths.
• Proven track record delivering production systems with real-time or ultra-low-latency requirements.
• Hands-on experience interfacing with hardware over PCIe, Ethernet, or custom serial buses; confident reading schematics & timing diagrams.
• Working knowledge of Linux internals (irq, cgroups, NUMA, hugepages) and high-performance networking stacks.
• Strong foundation in one or more of: quantum information processing, artificial intelligence, robotics, control theory, optimization, signal processing, or experimental physics.
• B.S. in CS, EE, Physics, or related discipline (or equivalent practical experience).

Ways to Stand Out:

• M.S./Ph.D. focused on numerical optimization, control systems, photonics, computer science, or quantum information.
• Demonstrated experience accelerating numerical Python workflows using Mojo, Jax, PyTorch, or similar.
• Experience with sub-nanosecond clock-sync protocols.
• Familiarity with FEC and/or QEC (forward error correction / quantum error correction) concepts, stabilizer circuits, fusion-based architectures, or tensor-network simulation.
• On-device ML for adaptive calibration (Gaussian processes, RL bandits).
• GPU / CUDA-accelerated numerical kernels (cuBLAS/cuFFT/cuQuantum) and/or GPU-Direct RDMA pipelines.
• Contributions to open-source control or scientific-computing projects.

PsiQuantum provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. PsiQuantum does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable laws.

Note: PsiQuantum will only reach out to you using an official PsiQuantum email address and will never ask you for bank account information as part of the interview process. Please report any suspicious activity to

We are not accepting unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.

The ranges below reflect the target ranges for a new hire base salary. One is for the Bay Area (within 50 miles of HQ, Palo Alto), the second one (if applicable) is for elsewhere in the US (beyond 50 miles of HQ, Palo Alto). If there is only one range, it is for the specific location of where the position will be located. Actual compensation may vary outside of these ranges and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to a candidate's qualifications including relevant education and training, competencies, experience, geographic location, and business needs. Base pay is only one part of the total compensation package. Full time roles are eligible for equity and benefits. Base pay is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

U.S. Base Pay Range

$156,000-$180,000 USD

Bay Area Pay Range

$185,000-$205,000 USD