Job Description

About the role

D-Wave is Seeking a Staff Software Developer to join our Processor Software team, which develops and maintains software supporting our internal Processor Development (PD), Hardware Engineering (HWE), and Lab Operations (LabOps) teams. This role focuses on developing the core software and infrastructure that interacts directly with our quantum processors across production and laboratory environments.

The ideal candidate combines deep software engineering expertise with a strong understanding of physics, engineering, or hardware-integrated systems. You will partner closely with scientists, engineers, and software developers to define technical direction, design scalable software solutions, and solve complex technical challenges that enable the development and operation of our quantum computing systems. As a senior technical leader, you will drive architectural decisions, mentor other developers, and influence engineering best practices across the team.

What you'll do

• Lead the technical design and development of software throughout the full software lifecycle, including requirements definition, architecture, implementation, testing, validation, deployment, maintenance, and decommissioning

• Design, develop, and maintain software supporting quantum processor calibration, hardware interfaces, operational infrastructure, system testing, and monitoring

• Drive software architecture and technical direction, ensuring scalable, maintainable, and high-performance solutions across the processor software ecosystem

• Analyze, optimize, and improve existing software for performance, reliability, scalability, and maintainability

• Partner with scientists, engineers, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver solutions for complex initiatives spanning multiple teams

• Lead technical investigations, solve challenging engineering problems, and provide guidance on software design, implementation, and performance optimization

• Mentor and coach developers through technical leadership, architecture reviews, code reviews, and knowledge sharing to strengthen engineering capability across the team

• Champion software engineering best practices, continuous improvement, and technical excellence while fostering collaboration across interdisciplinary teams

• Participate in an on-call rotation supporting ensuring the availability and performance of our QPU solvers on the Leap cloud platform

About You

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or a related discipline with demonstrated experience working on hardware-integrated systems.

• 7+ years of relevant software development experience designing and delivering complex software systems

• Expertise developing high-performance software using compiled programming languages and multithreaded environments

• Strong understanding of software architecture, algorithms, concurrency, and performance optimization techniques

• Experience designing, implementing, and optimizing software interfaces to hardware systems

• Experience developing reliable, maintainable software for complex engineering or scientific applications

• Experience with Git workflows including branching, merging, and pull requests

• Experience working in Linux environments

• Demonstrated experience leading technical initiatives and mentoring software developers

• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills

• Ability to influence technical direction while working effectively across interdisciplinary teams

• Self-motivated, adaptable, and passionate about solving complex technical challenges and learning new technologies

Bonus Points

• Experience with Common Lisp (SBCL) or similar functional languages such as Scheme, Clojure, or Scala

• Experience with Emacs, Docker, Jenkins, Kubernetes, SQL, MongoDB, InfluxDB, Grafana, or Redis

• Experience developing software for hardware control systems, scientific computing, or distributed infrastructure

• Familiarity with quantum computing, embedded systems, or high-performance computing environments

• Experience leveraging AI-assisted development tools (e.g., code generation, code review, testing, or documentation) and building AI-powered solutions to improve engineering productivity or automate workflows

Additional Requirements

• Candidates must be willing and able to work from our office in Burnaby, Canada, for six weeks during the onboarding process

• Travel to the Burnaby, Canada, office is required a minimum of two weeks per year, as the software organization convenes for in-person discussions, collaboration, and our yearly hackathon

A D-Waver's DNA

• We look at the future and say “why not”; we see possibilities where others see problems or routines. We show the way ahead and are committed to achieving ambitious goals.
• We practice straight talk and listen generously to each other with empathy. We value different opinions and points of views. We ensure that we connect outside as well as inside to learn from others and inspire each other.
• We hold ourselves accountable for delivering results. We make decisions & take responsibility so that we can act & support each other.
• As leaders we motivate & engage our teams to undertake beyond what they originally thought possible, by developing our teams & creating the conditions for people to grow and empower themselves through enabling & coaching.

Inclusion: 

We celebrate diverse perspectives to drive innovation in our pursuit. Our employees range from distinguished domain experts with decades of experience in their respective fields, to bright and motivated graduates eager to make their mark. Our diverse and innovative team will make you feel appreciated, supported and empower your career growth at D-Wave.

Export Controls

This position may include access to controlled information or technology under U.S. export control laws. Employment may be contingent on either the applicant verifying falling under the 'U.S. Person' definition (including U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and those granted U.S. asylum or refugee status) or the employer timely obtaining any necessary export license under federal laws. D-Wave evaluates export licensing on a case-by-case basis and may decline to proceed with a job application in its sole discretion as export license applications can take many weeks to process.

Security Clearance

This position requires the ability to pass a Tier 2 background investigation. This position also requires an active U.S. government security clearance or the ability to qualify for a U.S. government security clearance (U.S. citizenship required).

Our Compensation Philosophy is Simple but Powerful:

We believe providing D-Wavers with company ownership, competitive pay, and a range of meaningful benefits is the start of creating a culture where people want to give the best they’ve got, not because they’re simply making money, but because they’ve fallen in love with our vision, mission, values, and team. 

The anticipated salary range for this position is between $167,000 and $230,000 Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors including a candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, work location, and alignment with the responsibilities of the role.

We believe great work starts with supporting our people. Eligible U.S.-based full-time and part-time employees regularly scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week have access to a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; disability and life insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan; paid holidays; wellness and well-being resources; paid sick time; and flexible paid time off to support rest and well-being.  Employees may also be eligible to participate in short-term and/or long-term incentive programs.

The Fine Print: 

No 3rd party candidates will be accepted

It is D-Wave Systems Inc. policy to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, local law.

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