---
title: 'Scientific Software Engineer – Machine Programming at QuEra Computing, Inc.'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/scientific-software-engineer-machine-programming-quera-computing-inc-boston-w9yaep6cem1z'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-27'
---

# Scientific Software Engineer – Machine Programming at QuEra Computing, Inc.

- **Company:** QuEra Computing, Inc.
- **Location:** Boston, MA
- **Posted:** 2026-10-21
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-27
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/queracomputinginc/jobs/5460475008

## Job description

Summary

This role helps the scientists who build and operate QuEra's neutral-atom quantum computers program those machines effectively. You will maintain the domain-specific language and compiler stack, built on the open-source Kirin toolchain, that experimental physicists use every day to run their experiments.

You will work closely with physicists and control stack engineers. You'll help machine teams turn new experiments into working programs, keep the toolchain reliable as our hardware evolves, and drive its integration with our control system. The role suits an engineer who enjoys building tools and also helping others succeed with them.

## Responsibilities

- Maintain the domain-specific language and its compilation stack: triage issues, fix bugs, review pull requests, manage releases and keep CI, tests and dependencies healthy.
- Act as the point of contact for machine and testbed teams programming their experiments. Help them build new experiments, port legacy programs and diagnose compilation or runtime problems.
- Work with control stack engineers on integrating compiled programs with our control system. This includes defining and evolving the program representation passed between the compiler and the control system, keeping the two in sync across releases, and debugging problems that span both.
- Turn user problems into minimal reproducible reports, regression tests and focused fixes, and work with the compiler team on larger language or IR changes.
- Find and fix performance problems in program compilation and execution, such as compile time, program size and timing correctness.
- Write and maintain user-facing documentation, tutorials, example programs and agent skills that make it easier for physicists to write correct programs.
- Work with the hardware control team to support new channel types, control hardware and machine configurations.
- Collect feedback from machine users and turn it into a prioritized roadmap for usability improvements.

## Qualifications

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- Strong Python skills, including type hints, packaging and testing (pytest).
- Enjoys building tools for, and working closely with, scientists who are not professional software developers. Clear written and verbal communication.
- Experience working across team boundaries: agreeing on interfaces, coordinating changes between components and debugging problems that span several systems.
- Experience debugging unfamiliar code and reducing complex failures to minimal reproductions.
- Familiarity with the full software lifecycle: version control, code review, testing, CI/CD, logging, profiling, debugging and documentation.

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with compilers, domain-specific languages or SSA-based intermediate representations (experience with Kirin, MLIR or LLVM is a plus).
- Background in experimental physics, especially AMO or atomic physics lab control (AWGs, AOMs/AODs, DDS, timing systems, cameras).
- Experience with real-time or embedded control systems, FPGAs, or experiment-control frameworks such as ARTIQ or Labscript.
- Experience with real-time scheduling or execution systems, such as runtime schedulers, streaming or instruction-dispatch systems.
- Experience with C++ or Rust.
- Contributions to open-source libraries.
- Experience using AI coding agents in a development workflow.

The approximate base salary range for this position is $102,400 - $166,400.

We consistently monitor external market data and update base salary ranges accordingly.  We determine base compensation decisions on several factors, including as geographic placement, role-specific knowledge, skills, and/or experience.  In addition to our base salary offerings, we also provide equity grants for all new hires.

QuEra is committed to cultivating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We highly value diversity in our current and future employees and do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

## #LI-NB1

## About QuEra Computing, Inc.

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: QuEra Computing builds and commercializes neutral-atom quantum computers, aiming to deliver fault-tolerant systems for scientific, industrial, and government applications.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B)
- **Headquarters**: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founded**: 2018
- **Founders**: Mikhail Lukin (Chief Scientist, Harvard), Vladan Vuletić (CTO, MIT), and additional Harvard/MIT scientists

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Quantum computing (hardware, software, and cloud services)
- **Target customers**: High-performance computing (HPC) centers, public sector agencies, enterprise innovators, and research institutions – primarily B2B
- **Mission**: *“A world where quantum computing is a trusted tool for solving high-value problems in science, industry, and society.”* [quera.com](https://www.quera.com/about)

## Products & Services
- **Aquila**: A 256-qubit neutral-atom quantum computer that became the first publicly accessible neutral-atom system on Amazon Braket (launched 2023). Used for quantum simulation and research.
- **Gemini**: QuEra’s first commercially available gate-based neutral-atom quantum computer, deployed on-premises (first system delivered to Japan in 2023).
- **Quantum Innovation Platform**: A full-stack offering combining hardware, software, and co-design services to help partners develop quantum solutions for specific industries.
- **Roadmap to Fault Tolerance**: QuEra plans to reach megaquop logical performance with hundreds of logical qubits by 2028, and gigaquop performance with ~1,000 logical qubits shortly after. [quera.com](https://www.quera.com/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed; raised >$230M in Series B financing (backed by Google, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Valor, and later expanded by NVIDIA’s NVentures). Total known funding: $17M seed (2021) + $230M+ Series B.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding ~$247M+ (private company; revenue not publicly available)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Google, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Valor Equity Partners, NVIDIA (NVentures), and others.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Selected by Japan’s AIST for a ~$40M on-premises neutral-atom computer integrated with the NVIDIA-powered ABCI-Q supercomputer.
  - Chosen for DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) Stages A and B.
  - Demonstrated a logical quantum processor with 48 logical qubits (2024 Physics World Breakthrough).
  - Published first experimental demonstration of magic state distillation for universal logical quantum computing.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Neutral-atom technology**: Scalable to thousands of qubits using optical tweezers, offering a path to fault-tolerant quantum computing that is widely recognized as highly promising.
- **Strong academic roots**: Built on pioneering research from Harvard University and MIT, with founders who are leading physicists in the field.
- **Early ecosystem leadership**: First neutral-atom system on a public cloud (Amazon Braket), first commercially available gate-based neutral-atom system, and active partnerships with major HPC centers and governments.
- **Fault-tolerance roadmap**: Clear technical milestones (megaquop by 2028, gigaquop shortly after) backed by published breakthroughs in error correction and logical qubits.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling toward fault tolerance**: Executing a roadmap to deliver error-corrected logical quantum computers by 2028.
- **Commercial expansion**: Deploying on-premises systems to HPC centers and government labs (e.g., AIST in Japan, DARPA).
- **Ecosystem building**: Co-designing applications with enterprise and public-sector partners, and integrating with classical supercomputing infrastructure (e.g., NVIDIA GPU clusters).
- **International presence**: Establishing QuEra Computing Japan to support the country’s national quantum strategy.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as “more science, less fiction” with a focus on real physics, precision engineering, and collaborative learning across disciplines. [quera.com/careers](https://www.quera.com/careers)
- **Benefits**: Company-subsidized medical insurance with Health Reimbursement Account, 100% company-paid dental and vision, 401(k) with dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% (immediate vesting), flexible time off, paid holidays, sick leave, free parking, catered lunch-and-learns, stocked kitchens, and employee events.
- **Work environment**: Based in Boston, MA. The engineering team develops classical control systems that operate neutral-atom quantum computers, moving quantum from lab experiments to production-grade systems.
- **Team**: Leadership includes experienced executives (CEO Andy Ory, CFO Ed Durkin, CCO Yuval Boger) and world-class scientists (CTO Vladan Vuletić, Chief Scientist Mikhail Lukin). The company emphasizes internal cross-disciplinary collaboration and external partnerships.

## Sources
1. [quera.com](https://www.quera.com/) – Official website, roadmap, and product details.
2. [quera.com/careers](https://www.quera.com/careers) – Careers page with benefits and culture.
3. [quera.com/about](https://www.quera.com/about) – Company history, leadership, funding, and milestones.
4. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/quera-computing) – Company overview and financial data.
5. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quera-computing-inc) – LinkedIn company page.

## Other roles at QuEra Computing, Inc.

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- [Quantum Scientist - Decoding Theorist](https://feeny.ai/job/quantum-scientist-decoding-theorist-quera-computing-inc-boston-pebz2p96rfyh) — Boston, MA
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- [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-quera-computing-inc-boston-spsba1pmmdeb) — Boston, MA
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