Senior Backend Software Developer – IBM Quantum

Introduction

We are seeking an experienced Senior Backend Software Developer to guide key backend technologies and initiatives within IBM Quantum. In this role, you will lead complex technical efforts, break down large-scale engineering problems, and drive cross-functional collaboration across research, engineering, and product teams.

Your work will directly contribute to the innovation and reliability of distributed systems powering quantum workloads. You will apply deep technical expertise to deliver scalable, secure, and high‑performance services that enable quantum applications in optimization, AI, and scientific discovery.

This role emphasizes technical leadership, ownership of major components, and consistent delivery of business value.

Your Role And Responsibilities

You’ll be responsible for designing and developing robust, high‑performance systems across multiple services and critical components of the IBM Quantum platform. This includes improving service efficiency, strengthening fault tolerance, and driving the productization of essential infrastructure and execution services.

Through active participation in architectural discussions and technical design sessions, you will help shape scalable and resilient platforms that support quantum workloads with reliability and precision.

Our work plays a fundamental role in transforming complex quantum research into scalable, real‑world solutions that define the next era of computing.

Joining this team as a Senior Software Engineer means stepping into a high‑impact role where you'll architect, build, and optimize services powering both cloud and on‑premise quantum infrastructures—ensuring they meet the performance, security, and reliability standards required by cutting‑edge scientific and enterprise applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain high‑performance, scalable backend services and APIs that enable interaction between quantum processors, classical systems, and end users.
• Design and develop distributed system components that improve performance, reliability, and scalability for quantum workloads running on cloud and on‑premise environments.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams including researchers, frontend developers, product managers, and DevOps engineers to deliver robust and integrated solutions.
• Apply deep technical knowledge to propose improvements, solve complex issues, and enhance developer experience, operational efficiency, and system performance.
• Contribute to the evolution of backend architecture by participating in design discussions, code reviews, and technical decision-making processes.
• Ensure adherence to security best practices and reliable execution workflows, maintaining high standards for service quality and availability.
• Shape and elevate a top-tier engineering team through leadership.
• Understand stakeholder needs and incorporate them into high‑quality solutions that provide business value and improve user experience.
• Innovate solutions that are pivotal to the quantum computing community and scientific research.
• Apply AI‑driven insights to guide architectural decisions, optimize distributed services, and enhance overall system resilience.

Preferred Education

Master's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Strong proficiency in backend development using TypeScript, JavaScript, Golang, Python, or similar programming languages for building production‑grade systems.
• Extensive experience designing and maintaining scalable service architectures, including REST, gRPC, microservices, event-driven services, and distributed components.
• Solid understanding of distributed systems concepts—including concurrency, load balancing, service orchestration, caching, and data consistency.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and containerized deployments.
• Proficiency with SQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL) and familiarity with designing data models for high‑throughput systems.
• Experience building and operating cloud‑native systems and services running across multiple environments (cloud, on‑prem, hybrid).
• Demonstrated experience with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, automated testing, and modern DevOps practices.
• Proficiency with monitoring tools (Grafana, Sysdig, Prometheus) and incident‑driven improvements.
• Experience with event-driven architectures and messaging systems.
• Excellent communication skills for stakeholder and cross-functional collaboration.
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., code generation, automated refactoring, test creation, or debugging assistants) to improve engineering productivity and code quality.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Experience with HPC schedulers such as slurm or LSF, from using such components to developing them.
• Prior exposure to hybrid cloud, multi-cluster orchestration, or high‑performance computing environments.
• Contributions to open-source or inner-source projects.
• Familiarity with AI-powered observability platforms or tools capable of detecting anomalies, performance regressions, or unusual workload patterns.
• Experience exploring or adopting new AI technologies that enhance developer productivity, service reliability, or operational efficiency.