Your mission

At planqc, we are building scalable quantum computers based on neutral atoms — one of the most promising platforms for achieving real-world quantum advantage.
As we expand our international presence and establish our operations in the United Kingdom, we are looking for a quantum error correction Engineer to join us at this exciting stage of our growth.
As a Quantum Error Correction Engineer, you will play a key role in shaping planqc’s roadmap toward fault-tolerant quantum computation. You will design and analyze QEC schemes tailored to neutral-atom architectures, benchmark protocols under realistic noise models, and work hand-in-hand with our hardware, control, and algorithm teams to turn QEC research into concrete engineering milestones.
This role sits at the interface of quantum physics, theory, and systems engineering, and is ideal for an exceptionally driven individual who is motivated to contribute to a challenge of generational significance.
This is an opportunity to contribute to the development of our quantum technology while helping shape planqc's engineering presence in the UK.

Your responsibilities

• Take ownership of selected QEC workstreams, driving design decisions on code choice, fault-tolerant protocols, and resource trade-offs.
• Contribute to planqc’s fault-tolerance roadmap, translating QEC research into concrete architectural and engineering milestones.
• Develop and analyze quantum error correction schemes tailored to neutral-atom architectures.
• Perform numerical simulations of QEC protocols and benchmark decoders under realistic noise models.
• Analyze trade-offs between different error correction schemes for the implementation of logical operations.
• Build and maintain simulation and benchmarking tools for logical circuits.
• Collaborate with quantum algorithm engineers to co-design quantum algorithms that leverage platform-specific features.
• Collaborate with hardware and control teams to implement fault-tolerant protocols aligned with system constraints.
• Stay up to date with advances in quantum error correction and contribute to internal knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to planqc's intellectual property and publish results in peer-reviewed journals. 
• Represent planqc at conferences as in the broader quantum computing research community.

What you bring

• A degree in physics, preferably with a focus on quantum science and technology.
• A solid background in quantum computing, quantum information, quantum many-body physics, or closely related fields.
• Provable ability to undertake high-quality scientific work.
• Experience with scientific computing (Python, Julia, or similar).
• Ability and willingness to work across theory and implementation, collaborating in a multidisciplinary team.

Nice to have

• A PhD in a relevant field of quantum physics, with a strong track record of scientific publications.
• Prior experience in quantum error correction and coding theory: familiarity with stabilizer formalism, topological codes and qLDPC codes is very much appreciated.
• Experience with numerical simulation of stabilizer states (e.g. Stim) and decoding under circuit-level noise models.
• Familiarity with collaborative software development environments and tools (e.g. Git, code review, CI/CD workflows).
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present results clearly and effectively.
• An understanding of neutral-atom platforms is an asset.

What characterizes you

• You are highly motivated to contribute to an ambitious, long-term scientific and technological challenge.
• You bring curiosity and a willingness to engage with complex, open-ended problems.
• You have a collaborative mindset and enjoy working across disciplines and teams
• You are comfortable with change and open-ended challenges, where the right approach isn’t yet known.
• You are able to work independently while actively contributing to a collaborative research environment, including sharing knowledge across teams.

Why join planqc

At planqc, we are transforming pioneering research into practical quantum computing technology.
Founded in Germany and built on world-class research in neutral-atom quantum computing, we bring together physicists, engineers and software specialists who share one ambition: developing scalable quantum computers capable of solving meaningful problems.
Our expansion into the UK marks an exciting new chapter in this journey.
By joining our UK team, you will have the opportunity to:

• Join at an early stage. Become part of our growing UK presence and contribute to its development.
• Work on cutting-edge technology. Build and improve neutral-atom quantum hardware at the forefront of quantum computing.
• Make a tangible impact. Take ownership of critical technical systems and see your contributions directly influence our technology.
• Collaborate internationally. Work alongside experienced scientists and engineers across our European teams.
• Grow with us. Develop your expertise and responsibilities as our technology and international organisation evolve.
• Combine research with engineering. Work in an environment where scientific curiosity meets the ambition to build reliable, scalable systems.