Research Associate, Data Scientist

Salary and Contract Terms

Salary: £41,064.00 - £48,822.00 per annum.

College of Science & Engineering / School of Informatics.

Full Time – 35 Hours Per Week.

Fixed‑term contract: 24 months (initial 2‑year appointment, eligibility for a 1‑year extension following a positive review by the project PI).

The Quantum Software Lab (QSL; ), based in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, invites applications for up to ten Postdoctoral Research Associate positions in areas including, but not limited to:

• Quantum algorithms
• Quantum machine learning
• Quantum simulation
• High performance computing and quantum computation integration
• Networks distributed quantum computing
• Quantum programming and software
• Verification and benchmarking
• Quantum error correction and error mitigation
• Fault‑tolerant compilation and resource estimation

The Quantum Software Lab (QSL; ) is the largest academic group in the UK focused on quantum software and applications. Strategically located within the UK’s growing quantum ecosystem, Edinburgh serves as a key hub for quantum technology development through its close partnership with the National Quantum Computing Centre (). QSL aims to further develop its world‑leading research capabilities in support of the UK’s National Quantum Strategy (), in particular Mission 1, which focuses on developing UK‑based quantum computers capable of performing 1 trillion coherent operations (Tera Qu Ops ) by 2035.

QSL currently comprises approximately 70 researchers, including 11 cross‑college faculty members, under the leadership of Prof. Elham Kashefi, the NQCC Chief Scientist. Over the past few years, QSL has made significant contributions to quantum software and algorithms, producing more than 140 publications.

As a Bell Labs‑style collective of senior faculty, postdoctoral researchers, innovation fellows, and professional staff working towards shared Mission 1 goals, QSL collaborates with industry professionals and NQCC quantum applications engineers to transform existing computational challenges into research problems that can be tackled using quantum technologies. Its researchers and scientists work alongside government, industry, and academia to develop full‑stack solutions tailored to the needs of the economy and society.

The Lab’s main research programme, Quantum Advantage Turbo Charger (QATCH) has been developed to support the National Quantum Computing Centre and the UK’s quantum community in achieving the goals of the National Quantum Technology Missions.

Over the next four years, QATCH will deliver the UK’s first integrated software and verification infrastructure through a coordinated suite of tools. At its core, QATCH operates through a two‑dimensional structure linking three research pillars: (i) Quantum Advantage Engine; (ii) HPC and Fault‑Tolerant Architecture; and (iii) Performance Evaluation, with six application sectors in healthcare, materials, cybersecurity, finance, energy, and AI. The pillars develop methods, systems, and tools, while the sectors provide data, challenges, and end‑user validation.

Together, they form the QATCH workflow from theory to deployment, where research is verified on national testbeds and benchmarked against measurable sector metrics.

We’re building a research environment that combines the intellectual freedom of Bell Labs with the urgency and impact of a focused startup. We offer the opportunity to work on hard, long‑term problems that matter with the autonomy to follow promising directions without navigating corporate bureaucracy. We value researchers who can balance scientific rigor with pragmatic execution: people who want to ship real solutions to real problems, energized by turning research into impact.

QSL provides a tight‑knit team of exceptional researchers, the freedom to publish your work, and the rare opportunity to see your ideas go from concept to demonstration, all within a highly stimulating intellectual environment.

We welcome both local (UK‑resident) and international applicants from all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from female researchers, minority ethnic groups,…