Software Engineer, Back-end (Boulder Opal)

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Software Engineer, Back-end (Boulder Opal). Location: Los Angeles, California, USA

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend systems that support Q-CTRL’s quantum technology products.
• Build and optimize backend applications using Python to power production-grade quantum software platforms.
• Implement efficient service-to-service communication using modern protocols to ensure high-performance distributed systems.
• Work closely with researchers to convert experimental and research code into reliable production software.
• Collaborate with product managers, frontend engineers, and infrastructure teams to deliver complete product features.
• Develop reusable architectures and modular services that can support multiple business use cases;
• Contribute to engineering best practices, system design discussions, and performance optimization efforts.
• Support integration of research innovations into scalable quantum computing applications.
• Perform other duties aligned with the employee’s experience and technical skills.

Qualifications:

• At least 5 years of backend engineering experience using Python, Rust, C++, or similar programming languages.
• Strong experience building scalable backend systems and distributed architectures;
• Proven ability to collaborate with both engineering and research teams to solve complex technical problems.
• Strong problem solving skills and a proactive mindset with ownership of technical outcomes.
• Experience designing efficient algorithms, statistical models, or large-scale data pipelines.

Preferred:

• Experience building APIs using technologies such as gRPC, GraphQL, or REST.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure.
• Experience using Python web frameworks including Django, Flask, or FastAPI.
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines such as GitHub Actions or CircleCI.
• Experience with container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes;
• Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, Tempo, or AWS CloudWatch.
• Exposure to data orchestration and warehousing tools such as Airflow, Snowflake, or dbt.

Benefits and Compensation:

• Base salary range of $135,000 to $210,000 depending on experience, skills, and location.
• Eligibility for annual discretionary bonuses.
• Potential equity compensation;
• Competitive benefits aligned with Q-CTRL’s high performance culture.
• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid work environment.