Role: Software Engineer (Systems / Quantum Control / Platform Engineering)

Department: Products

Reports to: Head of Software

Job Type: Full time

Location: Central London, Hybrid

About us

ORCA Computing (“ORCA”) is at the forefront of a new era in high-performance computing, developing full-stack photonic quantum systems designed to transform how organizations tackle machine learning, generative AI, and complex optimization challenges. Headquartered in London, ORCA has delivered eleven on-premises quantum computers worldwide – demonstrating that its technology is not theoretical but already delivering real world results.

At the core of ORCA’s innovation is its hybrid quantum-classical architecture, engineered for seamless integration into existing AI and HPC infrastructure. Its current PT-2 system, a rack-mounted quantum computer, connects directly to GPU clusters via NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q platform, enabling accelerated AI workloads with significantly lower energy consumption than traditional silicon-based systems. Backed by a strong portfolio of patent families spanning photonic integrated circuits, quantum memory, and multiplexing technologies, ORCA is enabling enterprises, research institutions, and HPC operators to unlock new levels of performance, efficiency, and scalability.

As ORCA prepares to launch its next-generation PT-3 system, the company is entering a pivotal phase of growth and technological advancement. Its solutions are already being embedded into generative AI pipelines, delivering measurable improvements in model performance, while also addressing the rising energy demands of large-scale AI adoption. With a focus on practical deployment and a clear roadmap to fault-tolerant quantum computing, ORCA is leading the development and deployment of quantum technology, providing a commercially viable path to the future of computing.

What will you do

• Design, build, and optimize core systems software (Python, C++, and/or Rust) that runs our leading quantum control and orchestration stack in production.
• Take ownership of one or more critical platform areas – delivering measurable improvements in latency, throughput, reliability, and operability for on‑prem deployments.
  • Delivering low‑latency interfaces between quantum hardware and classical compute, with clear performance targets and benchmarking.
  • Partnering with hardware and physics teams to integrate new platforms (e.g., FPGAs, lasers, and other scientific instrumentation) from prototype through to robust operation.)
  • Building and improving CI/CD, observability, and deployment tooling so software releases are safer, faster, and easier to operate in a data center environment.
  • Profiling and optimizing system performance end‑to‑end, turning bottlenecks into concrete engineering work and validating improvements with data.
• Influence system architecture and technical direction by proposing designs, documenting trade‑offs, and making pragmatic decisions alongside the team.
• Raise engineering quality through code reviews, testing strategy, and simple, maintainable interfaces that scale with the company.
• Work cross‑functionally (engineering, physics, product) to translate customer and internal needs into software that makes the overall system more capable and dependable.

What will you bring

• Strong software engineering fundamentals and experience shipping production systems.
• Proficiency in Python. Good working knowledge of C++ or Rust would also be useful.
• Experience in one or more of: low‑latency systems, Linux systems programming, high‑performance networking, embedded development, GPU programming, or FPGA/software‑hardware integration.
• Comfortable with modern development practices: code review, testing, version control (git), and CI/CD.
• Ability to debug and performance‑profile complex systems (latency/throughput/resource utilization), and to turn findings into reliable fixes.
• Degree in computer science, electrical engineering, physics, or another quantitative field – or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in working in commercial organizations and / or deep tech.

Nice to have

• Experience integrating hardware-adjacent systems into on prem/data center environments.
• Knowledge of digital signal processing, data acquisition, timing synchronization, telecommunications, and/or RF electronics.
• Experience with observability stacks (e.g. Prometheus/InfluxDB), incident response, and operating software in production.

Why join us

Joining ORCA Computing offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of quantum technology, where innovation is already delivering real-world impact. Across commercial, operational, and product roles, you’ll collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to bring advanced quantum systems to market and help integrate quantum capabilities into modern AI and data center ecosystems.

ORCA provides a rare chance to contribute to a pivotal moment in the evolution of computing. With a culture built on ownership, collaboration, and ambition, the company empowers individuals to solve complex challenges and shape how next-generation quantum technologies are developed, deployed, and scaled across industries – driving a more efficient and powerful future for AI and compute.

How to apply

Please send your CV and a brief introduction (one paragraph is fine!) to: careers@orcacomputing.com.