Staff Scientist - QEC Theory
Oxford Quantum Circuits · Reading
Staff Scientist – Quantum Error Correction (QEC) Theory
At OQC, we aren’t just theorising about the future; we’re building it. Born from a philosophy of bold innovation, we’ve successfully transitioned quantum computing from an academic dream into a commercial reality. The most exciting thing is that we’re just getting started and we’ve recently closed our £260 million Series C funding round – the largest fundraise ever completed by a quantum computing company in Europe.
The Purpose
As a Staff Scientist specialising in Quantum Error Correction (QEC) Theory, you'll help shape OQC's path towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. You'll develop hardware-aware error correction strategies that combine the unique capabilities of our multimode superconducting processors with advanced codes, decoders and fault-tolerant protocols, turning theoretical breakthroughs into practical advances in quantum hardware.
The Role
Joining our Quantum Error Correction research team, you'll be a recognised technical authority, helping define the scientific direction of OQC's error correction strategy.
You'll work at the intersection of quantum information theory and experimental hardware, developing QEC approaches for our next-generation OQC GENESIS platform and Dimon architecture. By combining erasure detection within individual devices with error correction across multiple encoded qubits, you'll tackle some of the most important challenges on the path to scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing.
This is a senior individual contributor role with significant scientific autonomy and influence. You'll take ownership of ambitious research projects, collaborate closely with experimentalists and engineers, mentor fellow scientists and help translate cutting-edge research into the technical requirements that shape OQC's future processors.
What You'll Be Working On
- Develop and benchmark hardware-aware QEC schemes that combine error detection within OQC's multimode devices with error correction across encoded qubit arrays.
- Design advanced quantum codes and decoders that exploit syndrome measurements and erasure information while accounting for imperfect detection and residual errors.
- Build and validate circuit-level noise models alongside experimental teams, incorporating relaxation, dephasing, leakage, crosstalk and correlated errors.
- Optimise syndrome extraction, erasure-check schedules and fault-tolerant protocols around hardware connectivity, native operations, measurement times and decoding constraints.
- Evaluate logical memories and operations, balancing logical error rates, physical qubit overheads, execution time and classical decoding costs.
- Translate theoretical findings into quantitative hardware, control and readout requirements, collaborating with experimentalists to design and validate critical experiments.
- Lead complex scientific investigations, develop reproducible simulation and analysis tools, mentor colleagues and communicate research through publications, conferences and technical collaborations.
What We're Looking For
- A PhD in Quantum Information, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science or a related discipline, or an equivalent record of significant research experience.
- A strong track record of original contributions to quantum error correction, fault-tolerant quantum computing or related quantum information research, demonstrated through publications, research software or other substantive outputs.
- Deep understanding of quantum information theory, including stabiliser formalism, quantum noise channels and fault-tolerance principles.
- Expertise in topological codes, including surface or colour codes, or quantum low-density parity-check (qLDPC) codes.
- Experience with decoding methods for erasure and Pauli noise, including matching-based approaches, belief propagation or ordered-statistics decoding.
- Strong understanding of fault-tolerant logical operations, such as lattice surgery, code switching, transversal gates or magic-state preparation and distillation.
- Experience with circuit-level simulation, logical error-rate estimation and resource analysis informed by experimental data.
- Strong scientific programming skills in Python or C++, particularly for simulation, decoder implementation and reproducible research.
- Proven ability to independently lead scientific investigations, combine analytical and numerical approaches, and translate theoretical findings into practical hardware insights.
- Excellent scientific communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence research direction and work effectively across theoretical and experimental disciplines.
The 'Nice-to-Haves'
- Experience with erasure-aware QEC, dual-rail encodings or concatenated error correction schemes combining inner error detection with outer error correction.
- Knowledge of superconducting quantum circuits, particularly multimode transmons and their application to quantum error correction.
- Experience with microwave control, dispersive readout or modelling noise in superconducting quantum devices.
- Experience developing hardware-aware QEC strategies that account for realistic device constraints and experimental imperfections.
- An established research profile within quantum information or fault-tolerant quantum computing.
- Experience mentoring researchers and contributing to collaborative academic or industrial research programmes.
- 10+ years of R&D experience in quantum computing or quantum information, including doctoral, postdoctoral or industrial research.
Why Join OQC
You will join a world-class team at the forefront of the next computational era. We offer a culture of bold innovation, the chance to work with unique lab infrastructure, and the opportunity to see your work redefine the limits of computation.
Learn more about our benefits and positive work culture here: https://oqc.tech/company/careers-at-oqc/
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