Software Engineer, Quantum Error Correction Decoding

Job Description

Job Title: Staff Software Engineer, Quantum Error Correction Decoding, Quantum AI. Location: Goleta, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Mountain View, CA; Seattle, WA; or San Francisco, CA, USA

Responsibilities:

• Propose, implement, and evaluate new quantum error correction (QEC) decoding algorithms, including algorithms for quantum LDPC codes targeting superconducting qubit and neutral atom architectures.
• Automate algorithm evaluation pipelines to support AI-assisted research.
• Design scalable APIs to integrate new syndrome decoders and diagnostic tools with classical software and quantum hardware systems.
• Collaborate with research scientists and electronics engineers to gather requirements and support live QEC experiments on quantum computers;
• Define technical strategy, project scope, and roadmap priorities for complex quantum software initiatives across fault-tolerant computing workflows.
• Design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and improve software solutions.
• Manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables.
• Promote engineering best practices, lead design reviews, and mentor junior engineers.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 5 years of software development experience using C++ or Python, including data structures and computer science fundamentals.
• Experience designing, implementing, and optimizing algorithms for computationally intensive or performance-critical problems;
• Experience in systems-level programming, code optimization, or high-performance computing, including concurrency, multithreading, or GPU acceleration.
• Experience leading technical design, defining system architectures and APIs, and mentoring junior engineers.
• English proficiency is required.

Preferred:

• Master's degree or PhD in Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• Experience developing or benchmarking syndrome decoding algorithms, such as BP-OSD, MWPM, tensor networks, or neural network decoders.
• Expertise in quantum error correction, including surface codes, color codes, or quantum LDPC codes.
• Familiarity with physical qubit platforms, particularly superconducting qubits, neutral atoms, or trapped-ion systems.
• Strong knowledge of classical coding theory, graph algorithms, belief propagation, or probabilistic modeling.

Benefits and Compensation:

• Annual US base salary: $207,000 to $300,000.
• Target bonus of 20%.
• Equity grants, subject to applicable agreements, plan terms, and approval requirements.
• Health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
• 20 days of annual vacation during the first five years, accruing at 6.15 hours per pay period.
• 40 hours of sick time annually, increasing to 69 hours annually for Seattle, including five discretionary sick days per instance as described in the original posting.
• Maternity leave of 28 to 30 weeks, including short-term disability and baby bonding.
• Baby bonding leave of 18 weeks.
• 13 paid holidays annually.

Other Information:

• In most cases, applicants must attend in-person interviews.
• Applicants can indicate their preferred working location from the five listed locations.
• Applicants in Los Angeles County and San Francisco will be considered under applicable fair chance employment laws.
• Google is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants in accordance with applicable laws.
• Applicants requiring accommodations may submit a request through Google's accommodations form;
• Google does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and is not responsible for fees associated with them.
• Equity grants are discretionary, subject to approval and applicable plan and agreement terms, and are not guaranteed.
• Applications and candidate information are handled under Google's Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy.