Location: This role can be based at our office in Bothell, WA (US) or in Oxford, England (UK).
Travel: Twice per year
Job ID:  1452

The Role

As a Senior Software Engineer for Developer Tools, you will be a key contributor to the software that connects quantum developers to IonQ's hardware. You will focus on contributing to quantum compiler tools and features that our users and internal research teams depend on to run applications. You will build tooling to give users deep insights into how their circuits are optimized and create intuitive, user-friendly interfaces for hardware-specific compiler passes, such as quantum error mitigation and quantum error correction, and ensure our tools are robust and well-documented. You will work closely with our Compiler, QEC, and Applications teams to take new features through development, testing, documentation, packaging, and release, and use software engineering best practices to document, distribute, and use them in quantum software applications.

The Developer Tools team builds the critical software layer for the quantum ecosystem. In this role, you will help shape an ecosystem of tooling that turns high-level quantum circuits into optimized instructions for our quantum computers. Your work will directly impact the performance, reliability, and capabilities of quantum applications running on IonQ systems by focusing on the compiler's application-facing features and its connection to the hardware.

The compiler is where quantum algorithms meet quantum hardware. Your work sits at the heart of this critical transformation. The tools you build will define how developers interact with our systems, enabling them to extract maximum performance, trust the compilation process, and tailor optimization strategies for their specific use cases.

By focusing on compiler tools for applications, you empower developers to tackle real-world problems and push the boundaries of what's possible on quantum computers. You'll make advanced techniques accessible, from sophisticated error mitigation to hardware-aware compilation. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with world-class researchers and translate their innovations into production software that accelerates the path to quantum advantage for everyone.

Responsibilities:

• Design, build, and maintain compiler toolchains, optimization tools, and circuit transformation libraries for developer-facing applications.
• Work with the Compiler and Applications teams to package, test, and document new compilation features for both internal and external developers.
• Architect and implement interfaces for hardware-specific compilation features, giving developers deeper control and visibility.
• Integrate automated error mitigation, quantum error correction, and other advanced compilation strategies into our cloud platform and SDKs.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation, examples, and tutorials for compilation workflows.
• Support the testing and validation of compilation features across different IonQ backends and system configurations, and capabilities such as mid-circuit measurement and branching.
• Collaborate with the Applications Engineering team to understand and address customer needs related to compilation and circuit optimization.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent training, fellowship, or work experience.
• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience in team environments.
• Deep proficiency in Python, our primary language.
• Experience with quantum computing, with an understanding of quantum gates and circuits.
• Familiar with the fundamentals of quantum compilation, error mitigation and quantum error correction.
• Experience with software maintenance, user community stewardship and software engineering best practices.
• Experience working with research or academic concepts and integrating them into scientific software workflows.
• Familiarity with Agentic AI coding tools and techniques such as skills, docstring generation, code review, and software engineering best practices.
• A track record of creating clear, comprehensive technical documentation.
• Experience with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and scientific software validation.
• Strong collaboration skills, with experience working across research and engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 8+ years of professional software experience.
• An advanced degree (PhD or Master's) in Physics, Computer Science, or a related field with a focus on quantum computing.
• A background in compiler development for either classical or quantum systems.
• An interest in or experience with hardware-level and hardware-specific compilation, such as pulse-level control or dynamic circuits.
• System-level programming experience with C++ or Rust for performance-critical code.
• Deep experience with quantum compilers, circuit optimization, or quantum error correction.
• Experience with quantum computing SDKs (Qiskit, Pennylane, Cirq).
• Understanding of trapped-ion quantum computing systems and their specific noise characteristics.
• Proficiency with or strong interest in open-source compiler tools like ucc and jeff
• Publications or significant contributions to quantum computing research or open-source projects.

The approximate base salary range for this position is $145,920 - $191,047 (USD). The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.

We are looking for a Simulation Physicist to join our Ion Transport and Waveform Design team. As a simulation physicist, you’ll be part of a cross-functional team whose mission is to lead IonQ on its journey to build the world’s best quantum computers to solve the world’s most complex problems. 

In this role, you will study the physics of ion transport through numerical simulation. You will collaborate with experimental teams to validate simulation results and physics understanding, commercial teams to design transport waveforms used in our quantum computers, and quantum architects to inform the design of next-generation ion traps.

Responsibilities:

• Create, update, and maintain numerical simulation tools for ion transport in RF Paul traps.
• Validate simulation results in collaboration with experimental teams.
• Develop novel control schemes for fast, robust, and low-excitation ion transport.
• Deliver control voltage waveforms that implement the required operations for a trapped-ion quantum computer.
• Work with trap designers to incorporate novel transport techniques into future systems.

You’d be a good fit with: 

• PhD in atomic physics, quantum information, or a related field.
• Experience in numerical simulation and optimization to inform experimental design.
• Strong proficiency in programming and data analysis.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

You’d be a great fit with: 

• Experience with transport or waveform design in surface-electrode RF Paul traps.
• Experience using a compiled programming language (Rust, C, C++, etc.) for scientific computing.

Location: This role will work onsite in Boulder, CO or Oxford, UK.
Travel: Up to 10% (domestic and international)
Job ID: 1422

The approximate base salary range for this position is $110,336 - $144,459. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.

Location: This role can be based at our office in Bothell, WA (US) or in Oxford, England (UK).
Travel: Twice per year
Job ID: 1453

The Role

As a Staff Software Engineer for Developer Tools, you will be responsible for delivering the next generation of quantum compiler tools and features, with the focus of integration into quantum software applications, overall developer experience, documentation and developer tooling. Your work will involve setting high-level technical standards, mentoring senior engineers and scientists, and providing deep expertise to solve the most challenging problems in quantum compilation, optimization, and hardware interfaces. You will drive the adoption and enhancement of critical, user-facing compiler infrastructure, ensuring our tools are aligned with cutting-edge quantum research (e.g., advanced error mitigation, novel compiler optimization techniques). You will work across organizational boundaries, Compiler, QEC, Applications, and Engineering, to support scientific breakthroughs and define the technical strategy for packaging, documentation, and release processes for major components of IonQ’s developer tooling ecosystem.

The Developer Tools team builds the critical software layer for IonQ’s quantum software tools. In this Staff role, you will be a key driver in shaping the future of this ecosystem, and bridging the gap between critical parts of our engineering and computing organizations. Your impact will be measured by the successful delivery of critical, cross-functional projects and the elevation of technical execution across the entire team.

As a Staff Software Engineer, your influence extends beyond a single project; you define the technical bedrock upon which IonQ's developer ecosystem is built. The compiler is the critical interface where quantum algorithms are realized on hardware, and your architectural decisions will dictate the performance ceiling and accessibility of our systems. You will lead the charge in making advanced quantum techniques, from sophisticated hardware-aware compilation to state-of-the-art error mitigation, seamlessly available to every developer. This role offers the unique opportunity to leverage your deep experience to solve fundamental technical challenges, mentor the next generation of quantum software leaders, and accelerate the global adoption of quantum computing.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical strategy and roadmap for major components of the compiler toolchain, optimization suite, and developer interfaces, ensuring long-term maintainability and performance.
• Serve as the primary architect and technical lead for large, complex engineering projects spanning multiple teams (e.g., integrating a new compilation paradigm or full-stack error mitigation strategy).
• Drive the design and implementation of highly scalable and robust interfaces for hardware-specific compilation features, including advanced pulse-level control and system diagnostics.
• Establish best practices and mentor engineers on software architecture, design patterns, testing methodologies, and maintainership.
• Collaborate closely with research teams to evaluate, prototype, and productize novel quantum algorithms and compilation techniques, bridging the gap between research and production.
• Oversee the comprehensive documentation, examples, tutorials, and packaging strategy for all compiler-related developer tools to ensure ease of adoption and a world-class user experience.
• Act as a key technical resource for the Applications Engineering team, providing deep expertise to employ compilation techniques to solve customer-specific challenges and gather requirements for new features.
• Champion continuous improvement in software engineering processes, automated testing, CI/CD, and validation standards across the Developer Tools organization.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent training, fellowship, or work experience.
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a significant portion spent in a technical leadership or architectural role.
• Deep expertise in Python and experience designing and maintaining large-scale, performance-critical software systems.
• Expert-level understanding of quantum computing principles, quantum circuits, optimization techniques, and compiler fundamentals.
• Proven track record of driving complex, cross-functional engineering projects from concept to production delivery.
• Experience in system-level architecture and design, translating high-level requirements into clear, actionable technical specifications and implementation plans.
• A history of mentorship and elevating the technical capabilities of a multi-level engineering team.
• Familiarity with Agentic AI coding tools and techniques, and experience integrating them into modern software development workflows.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of authoring impactful technical papers, specifications, and external documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• An advanced degree (PhD or Master's) in Physics, Computer Science, or a related field with a focus on quantum computing or compiler technologies.
• Direct experience in compiler development (classical or quantum), particularly with optimization passes, intermediate representations, or static analysis tools.
• Deep expertise in system-level programming (C++, Rust) for high-performance computing or hardware interaction.
• Significant contributions to open-source software, especially in the quantum computing ecosystem (e.g., Qiskit, Pennylane, Cirq, ucc, jeff).
• Experience with low-level hardware control, pulse-level programming, dynamic circuits, or systems programming.
• A strong background in applied quantum error correction (QEC) or advanced quantum error mitigation techniques.
• A demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across organizational boundaries and secure buy-in for strategic initiatives.

The approximate base salary range for this position is $167,808 - $219,704 (USD). The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.

Role Overview 

The Software Engineer will play a vital role in the design, development, troubleshooting, and debugging of software programs for both our existing product line and new innovations. This position involves developing software and tools that support design, infrastructure, and technology platforms, including operating systems, compilers, routers, networks, utilities, databases, and cloud-based or Internet-related tools. Additionally, the engineer will assess hardware compatibility and its influence on hardware design.

We are particularly keen on candidates who possess experience in embedded software development for this role.

Key responsibilities for this role include:  

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable systems software and platform tools to support new product development
• Build and enhance high-performance applications using object-oriented programming languages such as Python and Rust.
• Develop data processing pipelines, analytical models, and optimisation algorithms using scientific computing libraries including NumPy, SciPy, TensorFlow, and PyTorch.
• Create intuitive data visualisation and monitoring tools using Matplotlib, PyQtGraph, and related frameworks to support engineering and operational decision-making.
• Design and implement responsive desktop user interfaces using Qt, PySide6, and QML, ensuring strong usability and user experience standards.
• Troubleshoot, debug, and resolve complex software and system issues across development, testing, and production environments.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to influence system architecture, software design, and hardware compatibility decisions.
• Develop and maintain deployment pipelines and release automation processes using Azure DevOps Pipelines, PyInstaller, and CI/CD best practices.
• Implement robust software quality assurance practices, including automated testing, static analysis, and code quality validation using pytest, mypy, and pylint.
• Participate in agile software development processes, including sprint planning, backlog refinement, and technical documentation using Jira and Confluence.
• Manage source code, branching strategies, and peer code reviews using Git, Bitbucket, and related version control tools.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of software engineering standards, development workflows, and testing methodologies.
• Support the full software development lifecycle from requirements gathering and prototyping through deployment, maintenance, and enhancement.
• Work closely with stakeholders to translate technical and operational requirements into reliable and maintainable software solutions.

We are ideally looking for someone with the following skills and experience:

• Strong object-oriented programming experience with Python and related modern development practices.
• Experience developing data analysis workflows, optimisation routines, and algorithms using scientific computing and machine learning frameworks including NumPy, SciPy, Jupyter, TensorFlow, and PyTorch.
• Proficient in creating data visualisation and analytical reporting tools using libraries such as Matplotlib and PyQtGraph.
• Experience designing and developing desktop user interfaces and user experiences using Qt and PySide2/PyQt5 frameworks.
• Knowledge of software packaging, deployment automation, and CI/CD processes using tools including PyInstaller and Azure DevOps Pipelines.
• Proficient in version control, branching strategies, and collaborative development workflows using Git, Sourcetree, and Bitbucket.
• Familiarity with Agile software development methodologies, issue tracking, sprint planning, and technical documentation using Jira and Confluence.
• Strong understanding of software quality assurance, automated testing, static analysis, and validation frameworks including pytest, mypy, pylint, Xray, and TestRail.

We know there is no such thing as the perfect candidate and that there is great value in transferrable skills, so please don’t feel you have to tick all of the above boxes to apply!

Why work for Refeyn?

Compensation and core benefits

• We anticipate a base salary of £45,000 to £60,000 for this role, depending on candidate experience 
• 25 days annual leave per year in addition to bank holidays
• Up to 7% employer matched pension contribution
• Private health insurance from day one plus critical illness cover, income protection and life insurance
• Give as You Earn and Cycle to Work salary sacrifice schemes.
• Annual Company and Individual bonus scheme 
• Paid volunteer day

Family Friendly Benefits

Refeyn offers YellowNest Nursery Scheme to all employees once probation is passed, and new parents can benefit from up to 17 weeks fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, 4 weeks fully paid paternity leave, plus an annual allowance for emergency childcare.

Supporting your Development

All employees receive access to Linkedin Learning which offers thousands of courses to support their personal and professional development. We also run frequent training sessions on both hard and soft skills.

Creating an Engaging Culture

Refeyn supports hybrid working where the role allows and offers flexible start and finish times. We also have a subsidised weekly lunch for onsite employees and a vibrant social calendar which includes holiday parties and midsummer festivals plus an annual team budget for managers to plan team-building activities.

Values-Led 

Refeyn is committed to celebrating each other’s differences and creating a dynamic, driven and diverse culture where everyone can flourish. We are proud to have been awarded Committed Status by the Inclusive Employers Standard in 2024 and are working hard to create a safe and empowering environment for all.

We firmly believe that there is great strength in building teams with different voices, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds so that we can continue to share the team workload and enable our customers to succeed, and we welcome applicants from all sections of society to join us on our mission to advance discovery through innovation. 

Refeyn is proud to use anonymised hiring practices. Identifying information such as a candidate's name, email address, date of birth and photo will not be visible to the hiring manager when they review CVs.