Senior Backend Software Engineer

Canada; Palo Alto, California, United States or U.S. Remote

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!

Team Overview

PsiQuantum’s Quantum Applications Software Team is dedicated to creating a software environment where quantum application developers can discover, build, utilize, optimize, and visualize large-scale quantum algorithms for classically intractable problems. As we continue to scale, we’re building out a QA function that bridges classical software QA best practices with cutting-edge quantum software development.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Backend Software Engineer to design, build, and maintain automated services and workflows supporting critical, data-intensive applications in high-performance environments. In this hands-on role, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams—combining software engineering rigor with scientific or computational insights—to create robust backend systems. You’ll ensure these platforms operate efficiently, scale seamlessly, and provide consistent performance for demanding workloads.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

  • Develop and own essential backend services and APIs, facilitating smooth end-to-end workflows for scientific or computational processes.
  • Implement scalable job orchestration, coordinating tasks across HPC clusters, GPU resources, or other distributed systems.
  • Optimize system performance, leveraging monitoring and automation tools to identify bottlenecks and streamline critical workflows.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., Data Engineering, QA, Product) to drive a cohesive architecture aligned with compliance, scalability, and availability targets.

Responsibilities:

  • Design and maintain backend architectures that integrate with various data pipelines, APIs, and HPC workflows.
  • Implement workflow engines and scheduling frameworks (e.g., Airflow, Prefect) to automate and monitor multi-step processes at scale.
  • Ensure reliability and high availability, troubleshooting complex issues across distributed systems, containers, and orchestration platforms.
  • Collaborate with domain experts to incorporate specialized computational methods or libraries, adapting services to demanding scientific or technical workloads.
  • Document and streamline processes, maintaining clear and reproducible code for cross-team collaboration and long-term sustainability.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement by championing best practices for DevOps, performance tuning, and system observability.

Experience/Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • 8+ years of experience in writing and maintaining production software with a bachelors degree or 5+ years of experience with a masters.
  • Proven experience building production-grade backend services and APIs, ideally in a high-performance or data-intensive context.
  • Strong proficiency in at least one backend programming language (e.g., Python, Go, C++), with a solid understanding of RESTful or microservices architectures.
  • Hands-on background in containerization and orchestration (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), including deployment strategies and load balancing.
  • Experience with job schedulers (e.g., Slurm, LSF, or PBS) or distributed computing frameworks on HPC clusters or cloud-based systems is highly valuable.
  • Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools such as Prefect, Airflow, or similar.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to translate complex technical requirements into practical backend solutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of DevOps and CI/CD pipelines, plus experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform, AWS CDK)
  • Exposure to cloud data services (e.g., AWS Glue, Databricks, Snowflake) or event-driven architectures (Kafka, RabbitMQ).
  • Performance tuning expertise for GPU-accelerated or HPC-based workloads, including observability solutions (e.g., Grafana, Prometheus).
  • Experience in an R&D environment, where research and engineering intersect to develop innovative solutions at scale.

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 recruiting@psiquantum.com.

We are not accepting unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.

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