Senior Quantum Scientist

Job description

Salary range guideline: $100,000 - $175,000 (Competitive salaries will be negotiated commensurate with experience). 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 Senior Quantum Scientist to lead significant experimental research programs at the frontier of AMO physics, quantum information, and quantum metrology. This role combines the depth of a world-class experimentalist with the leadership and judgment to define research direction, mentor junior colleagues, and translate scientific ambition into executed programs. We are looking for someone who finds meaning in the quest itself — who approaches high-impact, high-uncertainty scientific problems because the pursuit is worth the risk. This is a role for a scientist who has built hard things in the laboratory, has a mature understanding of what rigorous experimental science requires, and is ready to take ownership of the research agenda rather than simply contribute to it. The Senior Quantum Scientist will be a scientific leader within Q-Block Computing Research, with direct influence over research programs that sit at the intersection of fundamental quantum science and new technology development — including quantum metrology, coherence physics, entanglement architectures, and the experimental investigation of foundational questions about what quantum systems can compute and sense. 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: Lead the design and execution of complex experimental research programs, from scientific concept through experimental validation and milestone delivery, with responsibility for technical quality and rigor throughout. Define technical approaches, make high-stakes experimental decisions, and de-risk research programs with an honest assessment of what works and what does not. Mentor and develop junior scientists and research staff; raise the scientific standards of the group through direct engagement, technical review, and example. Contribute to new research directions and program strategy: identify where the frontier is, where Q-Block Research can make genuine scientific contributions, and what new capabilities are needed to get there. Advance quantum metrology research and new technology development as part of the scientific program — including precision measurement, optical frequency standards, coherence characterization, and quantum-enabled sensing modalities. Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations, research proposals, and technical communications; represent the research program credibly in the scientific community. Collaborate with engineering and platform teams where scientific work intersects with capability development, without sacrificing the primacy of fundamental inquiry. Required qualifications : PhD in Physics, Applied Physics, or a closely related field. 4+ years of relevant research experience post-PhD, including substantive track record in experimental quantum physics, AMO systems, quantum optics, precision metrology, or closely related experimental research. Demonstrated leadership of research projects or work packages: technical planning, experimental execution, and delivery against scientific objectives. Strong publication record or equivalent evidence of original scientific contribution. Scientific honesty, experimental discipline, and a deep personal commitment to doing work that is actually true. Preferred qualifications: Deep experimental expertise in one or more of: neutral-atom systems, optical tweezers, quantum gas microscopes, cavity QED, optical clocks, ion trap systems, solid-state quantum optics, or high-precision photonic systems. Experience with quantum metrology — optical frequency standards, Allan deviation analysis, coherence spectroscopy, or related precision measurement domains. Track record of independent scientific contributions. Experience in research proposal development, government-funded R&D programs, or long-term research planning. What success looks like in the first year Own and substantially advance a flagship research program; deliver scientific milestones with genuine technical content, not just activity. Become the recognized scientific authority on one or more research questions within Q-Block Research; influence research direction and scientific standards in those areas. Build junior scientists into stronger, more independent researchers through direct mentorship and rigorous scientific 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.