Senior Research Engineer, Quantum Algorithms and Applications

Rigetti Computing is building the world’s most powerful computers to solve humanity’s most pressing problems. We believe this technology will fundamentally change the world for the better and will affect nearly every industry over the coming decades. We are expanding our international team of Research Engineers in support of major government programs and our internal research and development efforts.
At Rigetti, we are searching for quantum advantage in a broad range of applications, each connected to deep subject matter expertise across domains including combinatorial optimization, machine learning, chemical simulation, and computational physics. For this role you will lead the systematic assessment and resource analysis of candidate quantum algorithms and applications for government programs and internal research and development efforts, from those that target our current-generation systems, to those that may require future fault-tolerant systems to operate. To do this you will regularly dive deep into a diverse range of application domains with a network of our partners and collaborators. The quantitative assessments you provide will help shape our quantum computing system roadmap, and the pride and rigor you demonstrate in implementation will serve the needs of customer delivery.
Expertise in physics or quantum information science is a requirement for this position. Applied background in quantum error correction will be assessed favorably, as will industrial experience in any of the aforementioned application domains.
As engineering leaders, we value diversity and are committed to building a culture of inclusion to attract and engage innovative thinkers. Our technology, meant to serve all of humanity, cannot succeed if those who built it do not mirror the diversity of the communities we serve. Applications from women, minorities, and other under-represented groups are strongly encouraged.

What You'll Be Doing:

• You will be a member of a small team responsible for the success of our government programs, and will interact with and advocate for the needs of our collaborators as they pertain to the benchmarking and performance of our quantum computing systems.
• You will work with our software engineers to transfer successful research into reliable benchmarking software, where it can be used routinely to inform current and future system performance and support the needs of customers more broadly.

What You Bring to the Table:

• Advanced degree in physics or quantum information science, or equivalent.
• Experience developing and executing experimental campaigns involving quantum algorithms and error mitigation, analysis of data and synthesis of research findings.
• Experience working in an industrial setting on government or commercial projects.
• Fluency in Python 3.6 and later, which is our common language across domains.
• Experience writing and maintaining highly mathematical, performant software.
• Proven ability to synthesize research findings into resilient, useful software.
• Competence in C/C++, Golang, Lisp, Rust.
• Familiarity with Python computational toolkits: numpy, scipy, pandas, scikit-learn.
• Experience with classical methods for solving combinatorial optimization problems, machine learning problems, chemical simulation problems, or computational physics.
• Experience with high-performance computing environments, including GPUs.

About You:

• You enjoy working across disciplines and are keen to learn from experts in the domains of quantum physics, quantum information theory, error correction and error mitigation.
• You are well versed in NISQ-era quantum algorithms, error correction and mitigation strategies, and have previously conducted experimental research on these.
• You are outcome driven, and have a keen ability to assess the impact of your work on the performance of our quantum computing systems and customer use cases.
• You communicate clearly and effectively, internally and with external parties.

You Should Join If You're Energized By the:

• Opportunity to think creatively, uncover, tailor, and advance the state of the art in quantum computing research towards quantum advantage.
• Connectivity to world-class researchers in adjacent and complementary areas of research, and participation in customer research programs.
• Opportunity to come up with unique solutions for technical challenges that very few researchers have encountered before.
• Ability to leverage cutting edge scientific research in your day to day work and build systems that enable and inspire further ground-breaking research.

Benefits and Perks:Rigetti seeks individuals who are motivated by grand challenges and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the exciting quantum computing space. As long-term visionaries, we offer employees opportunities for continuous personal and professional growth so they can advance our mission to help solve humanity's most important and pressing problems. To support the financial success and health of our employees and their families, we offer the following benefits in addition to a competitive base salary:
- 401k Plan- Generous Equity Grant- 98% coverage on Medical (Kaiser or Anthem Blue Cross), Guardian Dental, Guardian Vision- Anthem Blue Cross Life Insurance at no cost to the employee- Opportunities for additional performance-based equity grants or bonuses 
To help our employees bring their best selves to work, we also offer various perks to support each individual to perform at their highest level and foster work life balance. All full-time exempt employees are eligible for:
- Flexible PTO as soon as they join. - Fitness Activity & Gym Membership Reimbursement- 16 Week Paid Parental Leave- FSA & Commuter Benefits- Employment Assistance Program (EAP)- Flexible Work Schedule
As we continue to grow our company, we will prioritize applicants who have created a thoughtful application and share our vision and passion for quantum computing. While we regret that we can't hire every applicant, we keep applications on file for 2 years and will reach out if you're a good fit for a future opportunity. 
About RigettiRigetti Computing is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. The company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides ultra-low latency integration with public and private clouds for high-performance practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Rigetti was founded in 2013 by Chad Rigetti and today employs more than 140 people with offices in the United States, U.K., and Australia. Learn more at www.rigetti.com.
Don't see the job you want? Apply here so we can keep in touch with you when the right role opens up in the future!
Export Licensing ComplianceThis position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).  Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license. In order to ensure compliance, Rigetti must determine U.S. citizenship or U.S. visa/immigration status of all prospective applicants for this position.
Any citizenship information provided will be reviewed solely for export control compliance purposes.  Only applicants eligible to receive export-controlled items, software, technology, and information will be considered for this position.  Citizenship information will be handled in accordance with Rigetti’s policies prohibiting discrimination based upon classifications protected by federal, state, or local law.
Rigetti is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.