Quantum Compiler Engineer

Your mission

planqc builds digital quantum computers from neutral atoms held in optical tweezers. We are a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, based in Garching near Munich. Our software team owns the stack that turns a quantum program into the laser pulses and atom movements our machines execute.

As a Senior / Lead Quantum Compiler & ISA Engineer, you will lead how programs reach our neutral-atom hardware: the compiler architecture, its intermediate representations, and the instruction set at every level from gates to pulses and atom movement. Depending on experience, the role can grow into technical lead for compilation.

You work between physicists, software developers, control-system engineers, and our algorithm and quantum error correction (QEC) teams. You own the interfaces between them: which operations the hardware exposes, how programs are lowered onto them, and how people can see what the compiler did.

Your responsibilities

Compiler infrastructure

• You work on the architecture of a multi-level compiler, with dialects from logical circuits through native gates, atom layouts down to the shuttling level.
• Design analysis and optimization passes driven by hardware cost models such as fidelity, timing and atom-loss budgets.
• Keep the stack interoperable with standards such as OpenQASM 3 and QIR.

Instruction set architecture (ISA)

• Define the instruction set at each abstraction level, from the gate set users target down to timed pulse and movement instructions.
• Own the interface to the control system: what the compiler hands over, which timing guarantees hold, and which constraints it must respect.
• Decide with physicists and control engineers which operations each level exposes, and how the ISA is versioned as software and hardware evolves.

Tooling

• Build tools that make compilation visible: IR dumps between passes, pass diffing, visualizations of atom positions and schedules, and replay of failed jobs.
• Add verifiers, property-based tests and equivalence checks so that every pass can be trusted.
• Build tools for our algorithm and QEC teams, such as resource estimation to provide fast feedback on how a circuit maps to the machine and be involved in shaping the next generation of compilers for our error corrected quantum computers.

Technical leadership

• Make and document architecture decisions for the compiler and ISA.
• Review designs and code across the team.
• Represent compilation in hardware co-design discussions and, where it fits, in open-source and standards communities.

What you bring

• A PhD or MSc in computer science, physics or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 3+ years building compilers, IR-based tools or language toolchains, in industry or research.
• Deep hands-on experience with MLIR or xDSL, or with LLVM or a comparable SSA-based infrastructure.
• A track record of setting the architecture of a compiler or toolchain and taking it to production.
• Deep Knowledge and Understanding of Python
• Comfort reasoning about hardware: instruction sets, timing, scheduling, and resource constraints.
• Interest in quantum computing and in working closely with physicists. Prior quantum experience is not required.

Nice to have

• Other programming languages like C++ or Rust.
• Quantum compilation tools such as Qiskit, Qrisp, tket, Cirq, CUDA-Q, Catalyst or Kirin/Bloqade.
• Quantum error correction, stabilizer simulation (e.g. Stim), or logical-level compilation.
• Experience around GPUs and Optimization.
• Open-source contributions or private projects.

Why join planqc

• Real ownership: you shape the compiler and ISA of machines being built now, with room to grow into a lead role.
• Daily contact with the lab: your passes run on real neutral-atom hardware.
• A interdisciplinary team of physicists, engineers and computer scientists.
• Competitive salary.

Benefits at planqc

• Flexible working: Flexible hours and hybrid work where the role allows.
• Company pension: Betriebliche Altersvorsorge with an employer contribution.
• Health and fitness: EGYM Wellpass for gyms, pools and studios, plus regular Health Days.
• Job bike: Lease a bike through planqc.
• Learning and development: Trainings and conference participation, including international conferences. Plus regular internal learning sessions where colleagues share their knowledge.
• Relocation and visa support: Practical support for international hires and their move to Germany or Austria.
• Four locations: Headquarters in Garching, an office in central Munich, plus sites in Ulm and Innsbruck.
• Team culture: Regular team and company events throughout the year, from after work socials to our summer and Christmas parties.