Senior Quantum Simulation Engineer

Microsoft • Santa Barbara, CA

16h • $119,800 - $261,000

About The Position

Microsoft Quantum is pursuing scalable quantum computing through a full-stack program spanning quantum devices and global quantum services. The Quantum Design team is seeking a Senior Quantum Simulation Engineer to model and simulate the dynamics of topological qubit devices and few-qubit arrays. The role develops and refines simulation methods for qubit dynamics and error processes, producing insights that guide qubit designs and operational protocols. The engineer collaborates with system, measurement, and quantum error correction teams in an interdisciplinary environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Engineering, or a related field and 6+ years of experience in industry or a research and development environment; or a master’s degree in a relevant field and 4+ years of experience; or a doctorate in a relevant field and 1+ years of experience; or equivalent experience.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including passing the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.
• Provide proof of citizenship, U.S. permanent residency, or other protected status for export-control eligibility assessment; citizenship will be verified with a valid passport, with other applicable documents accepted for lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees.

Nice To Haves

• Doctorate in Physics, Engineering, or a related field and 3+ years of industry or research and development experience, including postdoctoral research; or a master’s degree in a relevant field and 6+ years of such experience; or a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 8+ years of such experience; or equivalent experience.
• Research experience in the theory of quantum devices or quantum computation.
• Experience modeling open quantum system dynamics and familiarity with numerical methods for simulating qubit devices.
• Background in quantum error correction and qubit error models.
• Proficiency in high-performance computing environments and experience developing code collaboratively in Python or Julia.
• Ability to work in an AI-first environment and use modern AI tools to accelerate discovery across hardware and software development.
• Ability to design and build AI agents or copilots that support experiment setup, log triage, measurement report generation, protocol templating, and knowledge retrieval from instrument manuals and design documents.
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to collaborate across teams and clearly convey complex technical concepts.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and refine complex models of quantum devices and qubit operations.
• Develop, test, and validate models, iterating to improve accuracy and performance.
• Compare simulation outcomes with experimental data to assess reliability and guide improvements.
• Build and maintain simulation tools, libraries, and modeling systems to support device development.
• Conduct simulations to explore device behavior and scalability.
• Translate theoretical and simulation results into design decisions and qubit operation strategies.
• Collaborate across teams and communicate clearly.
• Embody Microsoft’s culture and values.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior