Description review
Quantum Software Engineer (US)
Zapata Quantum · United States · back to the listing
HR standards
54/100
needs work
Title ↔ description
50/100
needs work
Reads as
Machine Learning Engineer
92% confident
What this role officially is
data scientist — ESCO, the EU occupation classification
Data scientists find and interpret rich data sources, manage large amounts of data, merge data sources, ensure consistency of data-sets, and create visualisations to aid in understanding data. They build mathematical models using data, present and communicate data insights and findings to specialists and scientists in their team and if required, to a non-expert audience, and recommend ways to apply the data.
Also known as: data scientists, data engineer, research data scientist, data expert, data research scientist
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What the listing never says
- 31 bullet points. Long requirement lists deter qualified candidates, who read them as hard gates. Scope clarity
- No pay range published. Candidates cannot tell whether applying is worth their time. Pay transparency
- No location or timezone policy stated, so a candidate cannot tell where they may work from. Scope clarity
The listing, marked up
Nothing in the wording of this listing tripped a check. The scores above still judge how complete and coherent it is.
About Zapata Quantum
Zapata Quantum is shaping the future of quantum computing: setting the standards for what’s viable, valuable, and worth building. The Company powers quantum applications across cryptography, pharmaceuticals, finance, materials discovery, defense, and beyond, translating cutting-edge research into real-world impact.
Zapata is the only organization to have contributed across every technical area of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking program, giving it a uniquely comprehensive view of what it takes to make quantum computing work in practice. Now restructured and sharply focused, Zapata Quantum stands alone as the only publicly traded, pure-play quantum software company fully dedicated to unlocking quantum’s commercial potential.
We’re rebuilding at a pivotal moment for the industry—bringing together a team that will help define how quantum delivers value in the real world, with the opportunity for meaningful ownership as we shape the commercial path forward.
About the role
We are seeking a Quantum Software Engineer to build AI-powered tools that massively accelerate how quantum applications are designed and resource-estimated. You will fuse modern AI—LLMs, coding agents, and ML-based heuristics—with quantum circuit construction, compilation, and analysis, compressing workflows that currently take weeks of expert effort into hours. Your tooling will directly shape Zapata’s ability to evaluate and deliver quantum solutions across cryptography, pharmaceuticals, finance, materials discovery, and defense.
This position offers a high level of individual ownership and is well-suited to engineers who are excited to push the frontier of AI-assisted scientific software within a small, focused team. You will partner closely with algorithm scientists and customers to understand their design and resource-estimation workflows, then build tools that turn those workflows into automated, scalable pipelines. This position is classified as exempt under applicable wage and hour laws.
What you'll do
• Design and build AI-powered tools that accelerate quantum application design—from problem intake through algorithm selection, circuit construction, and validation
• Develop automated resource estimation pipelines that use LLMs and ML models to rapidly predict qubit counts, gate counts, and runtime for candidate quantum solutions
• Build agentic workflows that orchestrate quantum SDKs, compilation passes, simulators, and analysis tools
• Integrate state-of-the-art AI coding assistants and LLM APIs directly into internal scientific tooling to compress expert-led workflows into automated pipelines
• Benchmark and continuously improve the accuracy, speed, and reliability of AI-driven tooling against expert-curated baselines
• Collaborate closely with quantum algorithm scientists to capture their reasoning and encode it into reusable AI-driven tools
• Deliver high-quality software with minimal supervision, demonstrating autonomy in execution and technical decision-making
Qualifications
• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including testing, code review, and CI/CD practices
• BS or MS in Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• Demonstrated experience shipping software that leverages LLMs, AI agents, or other machine learning components
• Proficient programming skills in Python, with working knowledge of modern LLM APIs (Anthropic, OpenAI, or equivalent) and tool-use / function-calling patterns
• Deep familiarity with AI-assisted development workflows (Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) and a drive to use them to massively accelerate your own output and that of the team
• Familiarity with quantum computing concepts and a willingness to learn quantum algorithms and resource estimation in depth
• Ability to work independently and manage deliverables with minimal oversight
• Strong judgment about when to apply AI and when not to
• A commitment to measuring tool quality against expert baselines
Desired Programming Skills
• Python — for tooling, scientific code, and LLM-powered applications
• LLM APIs and tool-use / function-calling patterns (Anthropic, OpenAI, or similar)
• Agent frameworks and orchestration (LangGraph, pydantic-ai, or custom harnesses)
• Quantum SDKs (Qiskit, Cirq, PennyLane, or similar) for scripting design and estimation workflows
• AI-assisted development (e.g., Claude Code)
• Git and modern CI/CD tooling
• Evals and benchmark design for AI systems
• Software testing frameworks (pytest, hypothesis)
• NumPy, SciPy, and the scientific Python stack
• Retrieval-augmented generation and vector databases
• Containerization (Docker) and cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Prompt Engineering
Preferred Experience
• Demonstrated experience shipping software that leverages LLMs, AI agents, or other machine learning components
• Experience building developer tools, scientific workflows, or research automation that leverages AI to speed up expert work
• Strong communication skills and comfort collaborating across research and engineering teams
Originally posted on Himalayas
Zapata Quantum is shaping the future of quantum computing: setting the standards for what’s viable, valuable, and worth building. The Company powers quantum applications across cryptography, pharmaceuticals, finance, materials discovery, defense, and beyond, translating cutting-edge research into real-world impact.
Zapata is the only organization to have contributed across every technical area of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking program, giving it a uniquely comprehensive view of what it takes to make quantum computing work in practice. Now restructured and sharply focused, Zapata Quantum stands alone as the only publicly traded, pure-play quantum software company fully dedicated to unlocking quantum’s commercial potential.
We’re rebuilding at a pivotal moment for the industry—bringing together a team that will help define how quantum delivers value in the real world, with the opportunity for meaningful ownership as we shape the commercial path forward.
About the role
We are seeking a Quantum Software Engineer to build AI-powered tools that massively accelerate how quantum applications are designed and resource-estimated. You will fuse modern AI—LLMs, coding agents, and ML-based heuristics—with quantum circuit construction, compilation, and analysis, compressing workflows that currently take weeks of expert effort into hours. Your tooling will directly shape Zapata’s ability to evaluate and deliver quantum solutions across cryptography, pharmaceuticals, finance, materials discovery, and defense.
This position offers a high level of individual ownership and is well-suited to engineers who are excited to push the frontier of AI-assisted scientific software within a small, focused team. You will partner closely with algorithm scientists and customers to understand their design and resource-estimation workflows, then build tools that turn those workflows into automated, scalable pipelines. This position is classified as exempt under applicable wage and hour laws.
What you'll do
• Design and build AI-powered tools that accelerate quantum application design—from problem intake through algorithm selection, circuit construction, and validation
• Develop automated resource estimation pipelines that use LLMs and ML models to rapidly predict qubit counts, gate counts, and runtime for candidate quantum solutions
• Build agentic workflows that orchestrate quantum SDKs, compilation passes, simulators, and analysis tools
• Integrate state-of-the-art AI coding assistants and LLM APIs directly into internal scientific tooling to compress expert-led workflows into automated pipelines
• Benchmark and continuously improve the accuracy, speed, and reliability of AI-driven tooling against expert-curated baselines
• Collaborate closely with quantum algorithm scientists to capture their reasoning and encode it into reusable AI-driven tools
• Deliver high-quality software with minimal supervision, demonstrating autonomy in execution and technical decision-making
Qualifications
• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including testing, code review, and CI/CD practices
• BS or MS in Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• Demonstrated experience shipping software that leverages LLMs, AI agents, or other machine learning components
• Proficient programming skills in Python, with working knowledge of modern LLM APIs (Anthropic, OpenAI, or equivalent) and tool-use / function-calling patterns
• Deep familiarity with AI-assisted development workflows (Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) and a drive to use them to massively accelerate your own output and that of the team
• Familiarity with quantum computing concepts and a willingness to learn quantum algorithms and resource estimation in depth
• Ability to work independently and manage deliverables with minimal oversight
• Strong judgment about when to apply AI and when not to
• A commitment to measuring tool quality against expert baselines
Desired Programming Skills
• Python — for tooling, scientific code, and LLM-powered applications
• LLM APIs and tool-use / function-calling patterns (Anthropic, OpenAI, or similar)
• Agent frameworks and orchestration (LangGraph, pydantic-ai, or custom harnesses)
• Quantum SDKs (Qiskit, Cirq, PennyLane, or similar) for scripting design and estimation workflows
• AI-assisted development (e.g., Claude Code)
• Git and modern CI/CD tooling
• Evals and benchmark design for AI systems
• Software testing frameworks (pytest, hypothesis)
• NumPy, SciPy, and the scientific Python stack
• Retrieval-augmented generation and vector databases
• Containerization (Docker) and cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Prompt Engineering
Preferred Experience
• Demonstrated experience shipping software that leverages LLMs, AI agents, or other machine learning components
• Experience building developer tools, scientific workflows, or research automation that leverages AI to speed up expert work
• Strong communication skills and comfort collaborating across research and engineering teams
Originally posted on Himalayas