Senior Quantum Scientist; Trapped Ions

Job Title: Senior Quantum Scientist
Salary: £58,346 gross per annum
Contract Type: Up to 2x Permanent
Hours: Full-Time OR Part-Time (minimum 0.8 FTE) (We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants)
Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX

Come and do the kind of science that made you want to become a scientist. Explore the unknown and get to grips with the biggest challenges in Big Science. And, alongside world‑class engineers, technicians and technologists, use everything you’ve learnt to find real answers that shape society and improve lives.

Put simply, discover the kind of impact you can make when you work with some of the best facilities and brightest scientists in the world.

About NQCC:

The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) is the UK’s national laboratory dedicated to accelerating the development and adoption of quantum computing. Headquartered at the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, the NQCC works across government, industry, and academia to address the engineering challenges of scaling quantum computers and to build a quantum‑ready economy. Its mission is to enable the UK to solve complex societal and industrial challenges by harnessing the transformative potential of quantum computing.

The NQCC is a joint initiative of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). It sits alongside other departments within the STFC National Laboratories and has a 10-year funding commitment as part of the National Quantum Strategy.

The Trapped Ion Quantum Computing team is responsible for delivering trapped ion quantum computing capability at NQCC, supporting both internal system development and the wider UK quantum ecosystem.

The team’s mission is to:

Build the capability to act as the UK’s trusted technical authority in trapped ion quantum computing

Deliver open architecture quantum computing systems

Provide technical appraisal of progress towards useful quantum computing

• Design, develop, assemble, and optimise trapped ion quantum computing sub‑systems (e.g. QPU, laser systems, control systems).
• Develop and run experiments to characterise device performance and improve qubit fidelity, stability, and scalability.
• Contribute to the integration of sub‑systems into full‑stack quantum computing platforms.

• Contribute to system‑level design, including requirements, interfaces, and performance targets.
• Support the development of scaling strategies and system architectures.
• Explore trade‑offs across subsystems and their impact on overall system performance.

• Contribute to the development of open‑architecture policy & vision documents, system definitions, and system performance reports.
• Ensure work is documented to support reproducibility and knowledge transfer.

• Work closely with internal teams across the NQCC (hardware, software, applications).
• Collaborate with external partners including academia, industry, and national laboratories.
• Participate in site visits, technical exchanges, workshops, and community engagement activities, contributing to the development of the UK quantum computing ecosystem and supply chain.

• Take ownership of technical areas or sub‑systems.
• Provide technical input into project direction, planning, and delivery.
• Influence internal and external collaborators through clear communication of technical results.

• Publish results in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Present work at conferences,…