Instrument Control Engineer, Software, Center Quantum Computing

Instrument Control Engineer, Software, Center for Quantum Computing

Job  | Amazon Development Center U.S., Inc.

The Amazon Center for Quantum Computing (CQC) is a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and technicians focused on developing a fault‑tolerant quantum computer. We are hiring an Instrument Control Engineer to join our growing software team. You will work closely with experimental physics and control hardware development teams to enable their work on characterizing, calibrating, and operating novel quantum devices. The ideal candidate can translate high‑level science requirements into software implementations (e.g., Python APIs/frameworks, compiler passes, embedded SW, instrument drivers) that are performant, scalable, and intuitive.

This role requires strong ownership, initiative, and a willingness to collaborate closely with control hardware designers and vendors to develop instrument software for test and measurement.

• Work with control hardware developers as a subject‑matter expert on software interfaces around control hardware.
• Collaborate with external control hardware vendors to understand and refine integration strategies.
• Implement instrument drivers and control logic in Python and/or low‑level languages, including C++ or Rust.
• Contribute to the compiler backend to enable efficient execution of OpenQASM‑based experiments on next‑generation control hardware.
• Benchmark system performance and help define key performance metrics.
• Ensure new features are successfully integrated into the Python‑based experimental software stack.
• Partner with scientists to contribute to the codebase through mentorship and documentation.

Your time will be spent on projects that extend the functional capabilities or performance of our internal research software stack. You will work backward from the needs of science staff within the context of our larger experimental roadmap, translate requirements into design proposals, balance implementation complexity against time‑to‑delivery, drive implementation after review, and coordinate with internal stakeholders for smooth roll‑out. Many projects will require close collaboration with other engineers or scientists on the team.

You will join the software group within the Amazon Center of Quantum Computing. The team comprises scientists and software engineers building scalable software that enables quantum computing technologies.

• 2+ years of professional experience programming in a modern language (e.g., Java, C++, C#, Python).
• PhD, or Bachelor’s degree with 6+ years of applied research experience.
• 1+ year experience with control systems for experimental quantum computing.
• Experience working with scientists in a research environment.
• Experience with the full software development life cycle (coding standards, code reviews, source control, build processes, testing, and operations).

• Experience with embedded software development (low‑level device driver or kernel development).
• Experience with digital signal processing.
• Experience with RFSoC platforms.
• Experience with standard communication interfaces (USB, PCIe, Ethernet, etc.).
• Experience with compiler development (optimizations or backend code generation).
• Experience with low‑latency networking technologies (e.g., RDMA).
• Experience with monitoring and telemetry platforms such as Open Telemetry.

Location:

USA, CA, Pasadena
Salary range:  –  USD annually

Amazon is an equal‑opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.