Quantum Scientist

Salary range: $65,000 - $125,000
Job type: Full time
Location: On-site (Ottawa, ON)
Vacancy disclosure: This posting is for an existing vacancy.

About Q-Block Computing: Q-Block Computing is a Canadian quantum technology company on a mission to decode Nature's foundational model — to build instruments precise enough to orchestrate atoms and photons, and to ask whether a quantum system can, in principle, capture Nature's computational power. We are a home for the curious mind and unconventional thinking, a sanctuary for avant-garde science and blue-sky research on time horizons longer than today's academic institutions. Some of the most important questions require decades to answer, and patience is not passivity but strategic discipline.

Q-Block Computing Research is the fundamental science division of the company. It is where we pursue the deepest questions — the computational power of Nature, the structure of quantum field theories, the link between entanglement and spacetime, and the foundations of quantum metrology. The research we do here shapes what becomes possible across every other part of the company; the rest of the company exists, in part, to make this research possible.

About this role: Q-Block Computing Research is seeking a Quantum Scientist to join a disciplined team pursuing frontier experimental science in AMO physics, quantum information, and quantum metrology. This is a foundational research role — not an applications engineering position. The work is motivated by fundamental questions at the edge of human knowledge, and by the conviction that building the most precise and coherent quantum systems is one of the most meaningful scientific endeavors of our time.

The successful candidate will thrive in an environment that embraces genuine uncertainty, values experimental rigor over performative productivity, and understands that the possibility of failure is evidence that the problem is worth solving. If you are drawn to the deep structure of physical universe and want to spend your working hours building the tools that probe it, this role was designed for you.

How Q-Block Computing Research differs from an academic institution: Q-Block Computing Research is built for scientists who want to pursue fundamental questions without the structural constraints that have come to define modern academic life. In a university, the size of a question is often bounded by the length of a grant cycle, the cadence of graduate student throughput, and the incentives of annual publication counts. Here, research horizons are measured in years and decades rather than funding rounds, and the scientific agenda is set by the depth of the question rather than the appetite of a review panel. There are no teaching loads to navigate, no committee service to absorb time that belongs to the laboratory, and no tenure clock shaping which problems are safe to pursue and which are not.

The scientific infrastructure is also different in kind. A university group typically assembles instruments one graduate student at a time, on equipment budgets that lag the state of the art by years. Q-Block Computing Research operates alongside a sustainable engineering organization whose ordinary work is the construction of ultrastable lasers, quantum-limited photodetectors, reference cavities, optical modulators, and the control systems that tie them together. Scientists here have access to that infrastructure as a matter of course, which means experiments that would take a university lab half a decade to build can be standing up in a year. The cost of this is that the work is conducted on-site, in close collaboration, and with a shared vision of experimental rigor; the benefit is that the ambition of the science can be matched by the capability of the tools. Finally, the culture is one of radical honesty about what is known, what is uncertain, and what has failed — a standard that is harder to maintain in an environment where reputation depends on the steady appearance of forward progress.

What you will do:

• Design, build, and operate experimental quantum systems in AMO physics, quantum optics, or precision measurement — contributing to research programs spanning quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum metrology.
• Execute experimental programs with rigor: construct optical and vacuum systems, develop laser and control architectures, characterize system performance, and analyze data to extract physical understanding.
• Contribute to research at the intersection of fundamental science and new technology development — including quantum metrology, coherence engineering, and the construction of experimental probes of quantum mechanics at the frontier.
• Produce research-quality documentation, internal scientific reports, and contribute to the development of publications and external scientific communication where appropriate.
• Engage deeply with the scientific literature; identify and integrate advances from atomic physics, photonics, quantum information, and related fields into the experimental program.
• Collaborate closely with fellow scientists, engineers, and technical staff across optics, electronics, and control systems.

Required qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Physics, Applied Physics, or a closely related field, with a research focus in experimental quantum systems, AMO physics, quantum optics, or precision measurement.
• Demonstrated hands-on experimental capability: designing and executing experiments, operating complex optical or vacuum systems, analyzing data, and drawing scientifically sound conclusions.
• Proficiency in scientific computing and data analysis (Python, MATLAB, or equivalent).
• Strong intellectual curiosity, scientific honesty, and a willingness to engage with difficult problems where the outcome is genuinely uncertain.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific ideas clearly in writing and in person.

Preferred qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with one or more of: laser systems and stabilization, optical trapping or tweezer arrays, ultra-high vacuum, cavity QED or cavity optomechanics, neutral atoms, ion traps, precision clocks or optical frequency metrology.
• Experience with experimental automation, closed-loop control systems, or research software engineering practices.
• Publication record, thesis work, or other contributions demonstrating original scientific thinking and experimental achievement.

What success looks like in the first year

• Develop genuine ownership of a defined experimental subsystem or research question and make measurable progress.
• Become a trusted scientific contributor in the lab: rigorous in methods, honest in results, and generous in collaborative engagement.

Benefits

• Extended health care (including dental and vision)
• Life insurance

Recruitment and AI disclosure

Q-Block Computing uses artificial intelligence (AI) solely to summarize application materials and candidate profiles during the initial screening stage. Human reviewers review the original application documents and are involved in every screening and selection decision. All hiring decisions, including the final hiring decision, are made by human reviewers; AI does not make hiring decisions.

Equal Opportunity: Q-Block Computing is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity. If you require assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please feel free to notify us.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply.