Senior Software Integration Engineer

About the team The Sensing R&D team at Q-CTRL transforms quantum research into deployable technologies that address real-world problems. We design, build, and field-validate an array of quantum sensors that support our key products, including Ironstone Opal - our solution for GPS-denied navigation. You don’t need a background in quantum to make an impact here. We value strong engineering fundamentals, a product mindset, and a drive to solve the hardest engineering problems in quantum sensing today.
About the role We are seeking a Senior Software Integration Engineer to own the deployment, configuration, and operational readiness of Q-CTRL’s navigation and quantum sensing software on UAS platforms. This role is hands-on and execution focused, ensuring rapidly evolving software developed at HQ is correctly integrated, configured, tested, and run on real platforms in lab and field environments. You will work closely with systems and hardware engineers, and HQ software teams to bring up full sensor and navigation stacks, verify correct operation prior to flight, and manage data flow for analysis. As Q-CTRL’s quantum sensing technology matures, you will help establish robust deployment, testing, and release practices for hardware-in-the-loop and fielded systems. You will join a growing global engineering team, working as part of a small US-based group supporting defense and aerospace programs, and operating at the intersection of software, hardware, and field operations.

What you'll be doing:

Own software deployment and configuration on UAS platforms, ensuring alignment with fast-moving HQ software releases.

Bring up and verify full sensor, driver, transport, and navigation stacks prior to lab tests and flight operations.

Act as the on-site software authority during field trials, diagnosing and resolving software and system-level issues.

The role will involve intermittent domestic and international travel and regular communication across time zone

Retrieve, validate, and organize test and flight data for delivery to HQ software and science teams.

Work closely with systems, hardware, and HQ software engineers to close integration gaps.

Contribute to improving deployment workflows, testing, and CI/CD processes for hardware-integrated software.

Lead strategic communication with internal teams and external partners.

Other duties within the Employee’s skills and experience, or with reasonable training.

Ideally you’ll have:

A Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering or a related field

Experience deploying and operating software on Linux based embedded, robotics, or UAS platforms.

Experience with numerical software and/or algorithm development, with an emphasis on inertial navigation, state estimation, data fusion, or optimization.

Proficiency with systems programming language such as C, C++, Rust and Python

Experience setting up and maintaining continuous integration systems

Familiarity with DevOps practices applied to hardware systems 

Experience working with sensor drivers, middleware, and data transport layers.

Ability to work effectively across software, hardware, systems and research teams.

Experience in defense, aerospace, autonomy, robotics, or navigation systems is highly desirable.

This position may require access to information which is 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 useful, solving the hardest challenges in quantum computing and quantum sensing to deliver real-world impact. Founded in 2017, we operate globally with offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Huntsville, Berlin, and Oxford. Our teams bring together technical and multi-disciplinary expertise across the product lifecycle, and we’re hiring talent to help scale every part of the business. We work quickly to turn cutting-edge science into deployable technology. In 2024 we raised US$113 million in Series B funding, the largest aggregate investment for a quantum software company. Six months later we delivered the first commercial quantum advantage with Ironstone Opal, our field-validated quantum navigation solution for defense and industry. At Q-CTRL, we prioritize outcomes over hours. We offer flexibility, equity potential, and competitive benefits that reflect our high-performance culture. If you’re ready to help shape the future of quantum, we’d love to hear from you! Please be advised that our communications will only come from the @q-ctrl.com domain. All our active job postings are available on our company website. To recruitment agencies, we do not accept unsolicited branded profiles and are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.