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.

We have an exciting opening for drainage modeller to help us deliver on our expanding portfolio of UK and international research and consultancy projects.

Current projects within the Catchments and Drainage team include:

• Modelling the impacts of retrofitting Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in cities in Europe and the Caribbean as part of climate resilient planning strategies;
• Evaluating impacts of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) spills and urban runoff discharges;
• Governance of water company modelling and asset delivery strategies;
• Modelling and master planning drainage asset portfolios;
• Developing climate-adjusted rainfall time series and risk-based approaches to drainage design for flood and spill risk mitigation;
• Creating tools for the planning, evaluation and design of SuDS;
• Creating digital AI modelling solutions and applications;
• Developing industry good practice guidance.

The team sits within the wider Flood and Water Management Group. Across this Group, we have a wide variety of experts including in water resources, flood risk systems analyses, flood forecasting, international climate adaptation and resilience, statistical modelling, data visualisation and management, and the use of earth observation data.  Our work cuts across regulatory, government and private sector consultancy and research sectors – both in the UK and internationally, and we are continuously generating new knowledge, skills and tools through our ongoing programme of internally-funded research. Within your role, you would be interacting and developing solutions with staff in all of these fields, in order to win and deliver projects and support clients across the Group. 

The Group are recognised for our innovation.  We won the ‘Digital Excellence’ category at the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coast Excellence Awards 2024 with our Resilience and Innovation Northants (RAIN) platform for Northamptonshire Council (Home Page - RAIN). Our Intelligent Dam Safety Monitoring (DAMSAT) project won two awards at the New Civil Engineer Techfest Awards and  our Dengue forecasting MOdel Satellite-based System (D-MOSS) has won 9 different industry awards. We have recently been successful in securing Ofwat Innovation Funding for a national SuDS platform (with Southern Water) and for developing a Rainwater Management Platform (with Wessex Water).  We were also one of the ten finalists for the Manchester Prize for which we were funded to develop an AI sewer spill water quality impact tool.

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated individual with existing demonstrable drainage modelling expertise and skills in data analysis who can help us with the development of new ideas and solutions, alongside providing robust established support to our clients.

About you

You will have at least a years’ surface water and/or wastewater drainage modelling experience (using InfoWorks ICM or equivalent) and ideally also have expertise in GIS and coding to help present and solve complex, data-intensive problems. You will have good understanding of risks and solutions relating to urban runoff. Importantly, you will be a team player.

You will have a minimum professional qualification of a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline and have studied mathematics to A’level (or equivalent).

Further information

• Download a full job description and person specification.
• Salary: Competitive (depending on experience).
• This role will stay open until a suitable candidate is sourced.

Why choose us?

• Exceptional benefits: Enjoy a defined contribution pension scheme with a minimum 10% employer contribution (matched up to an additional 5%), 25 days of holiday plus bank holidays, life insurance, and health insurance providing dental/optical cash back.
• Inclusive culture: Our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion is embedded in our core values.
• Inspiring the next generation: We are passionate about inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists through outreach with our STEM Ambassadors.
• Reach your full potential: We invest in our people, offering a chance to make a real impact from day one.
• Work-life balance: We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer both hybrid working and flexi time. We are also open to exploring other flexible working arrangements, including part-time.

HR Wallingford is a non-profit-distributing organisation allowing us to reinvest into strategic research and innovation. This ensures that our staff have the opportunity to work on exciting research and development projects to create the next-generation tools and technology and to apply them to solve water related problems around the world in novel ways. Collaboration and teamworking is at our core, both internally and with industry and academic partners. Consequently, we actively encourage ongoing training and development opportunities and pride ourselves on our open, inclusive and supportive work environment.

How to apply

If you are excited about this role but are unsure about whether you’re the right fit or have sufficient experience, please email careers@hrwallingford.com before applying.

If you are interested and meet our requirements, then please apply directly via our website www.hrwallingford.com/careers providing your CV and a short covering letter.

Additional information

Our privacy notice for job applicants, available from our website, explains how we collect and process the personal data you may provide us when you apply for a job with us through our websites, or by any other means. This notice also explains how we’ll store and handle that data and keep it.

HR Wallingford are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our workplace. We do not discriminate, and work to create an inclusive culture across our business.