Senior Embedded Software Engineer

About the team

The Sensing Engineering team at Q-CTRL transforms breakthrough quantum research into mission-ready technology that solves real operational challenges. We design, build, integrate, and field-validate advanced quantum sensing systems that power products like Ironstone Opal—our next-generation GPS-denied navigation solution built for defense, aerospace, and autonomous platforms.

You don't need a quantum background to succeed here. We're looking for engineers with strong systems thinking, a passion for integrating complex technologies, and experience deploying reliable software on real-world platforms. If you've worked on autonomous systems, robotics, aerospace, or defense programs, you'll find familiar engineering challenges—just applied to an entirely new class of technology.

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Software Integration Engineer to take ownership of the deployment, configuration, and operational readiness of Q-CTRL's navigation and quantum sensing software on UAS platforms. This is a hands-on, execution-focused role, ensuring rapidly evolving software developed at HQ is correctly integrated, configured, tested, and deployed on real platforms in both laboratory and field environments.

You will work closely with systems, hardware, and HQ software engineers to bring up complete navigation and sensing stacks, verify system readiness before flight, and manage mission data for analysis and continuous improvement. As Q-CTRL's quantum sensing technology matures, you'll help establish robust deployment, testing, and release practices for hardware-in-the-loop testing and operational systems.

You'll join a growing global engineering organization while serving on a small, high-impact U.S. team supporting defense and aerospace programs at the intersection of software, embedded systems, autonomy, and advanced sensing.

What you'll be doing

• Take ownership of software deployment and configuration on UAS platforms, ensuring alignment with rapidly evolving HQ software releases.
• Bring up, validate, and troubleshoot complete navigation, sensor, middleware, and software stacks before lab testing and flight operations.
• Serve as the on-site software integration engineer during field trials, diagnosing and resolving software and system-level issues.
• Support domestic and international field deployments while collaborating with global engineering teams across multiple time zones.
• Retrieve, validate, organize, and deliver test and flight data to HQ software and science teams for analysis.
• Partner closely with systems, hardware, and software engineers to resolve integration challenges and improve platform reliability.
• Contribute to deployment automation, testing infrastructure, CI/CD workflows, and release processes for hardware-integrated software.
• Perform other duties within the Employee's skills and experience, or with reasonable training.

Ideally you'll have

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience deploying and supporting software on Linux-based embedded, robotics, autonomous, UAS, or aerospace platforms.
• Strong programming skills in C, C , Rust, and Python, with experience developing software for navigation, sensor fusion, state estimation, optimization, or related systems.
• Experience with CI/CD, Linux, DevOps practices, and integrating hardware/software systems, including sensor drivers, middleware, and data transport layers.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across software, hardware, systems, and research teams while solving complex integration challenges.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to interface confidently with customers, defense partners, and senior technical stakeholders during integration, testing, and field operations.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, autonomy, robotics, or navigation systems is highly desirable.

This position may require access to information subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons as defined in 22 CFR §120.62.

About Q-CTRL

Q-CTRL is the global leader in AI-powered quantum control infrastructure software. We build the tools that make quantum technology practical, solving some of the world's hardest engineering problems in quantum computing and quantum sensing.

Founded in 2017, we operate globally with offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, and Oxford. Our multidisciplinary teams move quickly to transform cutting-edge research into deployable technology with real-world impact.

In 2024, we raised US$113 million in Series B funding, the largest aggregate investment ever secured by a quantum software company. Six months later, we delivered the world's first commercial quantum advantage with Ironstone Opal, a field-validated quantum navigation solution designed for GPS-denied environments.

If you're excited by solving problems at the intersection of software, embedded systems, autonomy, aerospace, and next-generation sensing technologies, you'll find an opportunity to make a lasting impact at Q-CTRL.

We prioritize outcomes over hours and offer flexibility, equity potential, and competitive benefits that reflect our high-performance culture.

Please note that all communications from Q-CTRL will come exclusively from the @q-ctrl.com domain. All active job postings are available on our company website.

To recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidate submissions and are not responsible for fees associated with unsolicited resumes.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support portions of our hiring process, including application review, resume analysis, or assessment responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are made by people.