Quantum Error Correction Engineer (Hardware-Aware)

Role summary

We are building a system that implements surface-code quantum error correction with a hardware-accelerated pipeline (multi-FPGA). We already have the FPGA architecture expertise in-house. This role is for a surface-code implementation specialist, someone who understands the surface code deeply and has practical experience with decoder implementations / syndrome-processing pipelines.

You will be the person who makes the surface code real at the implementation level: clear algorithmic choices, concrete dataflows, executable reference models, and unambiguous specs that our FPGA team can implement and verify.

What you'll do

• Own the surface-code implementation plan (algorithm → implementation)
• Define the full syndrome processing + decoding workflow for the chosen surface-code setup
• Identify performance targets: cycle-level latency constraints, throughput requirements, scaling behavior
• Decoder strategy + practical implementation details
• Evaluate or define a decoder approach suitable for real-time/streaming constraints
• Provide implementation-ready descriptions (data structures, update rules, scheduling, approximations)
• Work with the FPGA architect on what belongs in FPGA vs host/control software
• Create implementation artifacts the FPGA team can execute
• Detailed algorithm spec (state machines, message formats, boundary conditions, corner cases)
• Reference implementation in Python/C++ (or similar) to generate expected outputs
• Test vectors + golden models for verification (including fault/noise model assumptions)
• Support integration + validation
• Debug mismatches between reference model and hardware behavior
• Define success metrics (logical error rate targets, latency budget, resource scaling)

Must-have qualifications (non-negotiable)

• Deep working knowledge of surface code QEC beyond textbook level (stabilizers, syndrome extraction, decoding, boundaries/defects or lattice surgery—depending on your approach)
• Hands-on implementation experience with at least one of:

Surface-code decoder implementation (research prototype or product)

Real-time syndrome processing pipeline

Hardware-aware acceleration work (FPGA/GPU/ASIC) for decoding or related graph problems

• Strong engineering skills in Python and/or C++ for reference models, test generation, and performance experiments
• Ability to write precise implementation specs that a hardware team can execute without ambiguity

Nice-to-have (strong plus)

• Familiarity with practical decoder families (examples: MWPM-style, union-find, belief propagation / weighted BP, or other practical variants)
• Comfort with hardware constraints: streaming dataflows, fixed-point reasoning, memory locality, pipeline scheduling
• Prior collaboration with FPGA/ASIC teams, including verification and bring-up realities
• Open-source contributions, publications, or prior work demonstrating surface-code implementation

What success looks like

• A clear decoder/workflow choice with documented tradeoffs
• A validated reference model + test harness that produces golden outputs
• A complete implementation map for FPGA: inputs/outputs, message formats, timing assumptions, corner cases
• Smooth integration with our multi-FPGA system and measurable performance progress

How to apply

Send to [Confidential Information] :

1. Resume/LinkedIn profile
2. A short description of your most relevant surface code implementation work
3. Links to any code, papers, talks, or projects (optional but highly valuable)