Software developer

Introduction

Qiskit is IBM Quantum’s flagship open‑source software development kit for quantum computing, enabling the development, compilation, and execution of quantum programs for a broad community of researchers, developers and industry partners. As part of IBM Quantum, the Qiskit SDK team is building the foundations of a high‑performance, open, and platform‑neutral quantum compiler and SDK, with the long‑term vision of becoming the standard library and toolchain for quantum computing. Qiskit emphasizes production‑grade quality and performance, offering a platform with Python and C APIs and a design that accommodates future language bindings.

Your role and responsibilities

We are looking for an experienced Software Developer to join the core Qiskit SDK team. In this role, you will work at the intersection of systems programming, compiler infrastructure, and open‑source development, contributing to software that shapes the future of quantum computing. You will be a core contributor to the Qiskit SDK and its underlying compiler and runtime infrastructure, designing and implementing performance‑critical components, evolving public APIs, and collaborating closely with researchers, product teams and the open‑source community. The role requires a strong sense of software ownership, technical rigor, and open‑source best practices.

Key Responsibilities

Design, implement, and maintain core Qiskit SDK components and APIs.

Develop high‑quality, well‑tested, performance‑critical code, with strong attention to usability, extensibility, and backward compatibility.

Contribute to compiler and transpilation infrastructure, including IRs, optimization passes, and compilation pipelines.

Review and mentor contributions from internal engineers and external open‑source contributors.

Participate actively in open‑source workflows, including design discussions, code reviews, documentation, and releases.

Collaborate closely with research, HPC, hardware, and product teams, and support external users and partners.

Debug and resolve complex issues across a large, evolving codebase.

Required technical and professional expertise

• Strong proficiency in Rust, with experience writing production‑quality, performance‑aware code.

• Working knowledge of Python to support Python‑facing APIs and collaborate in mixed Rust/Python systems.

• Solid software engineering fundamentals, including modular design, testing, CI/CD, and maintainability.

• Experience contributing to open‑source projects, including code reviews and collaborative development.

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Familiarity with quantum computing and quantum SDKs (e.g., Qiskit, tket, Cirq).

• Exposure to compiler or transpiler concepts (e.g., IRs, passes, transformations).

• Experience developing Python extension modules or FFI‑based integrations backed by Rust.

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.