qubitsok.com
Cut Noise. Work Quantum.
Europe, Germany, Münchendorf
•
Posted 8 days ago
Senior Backend Software Engineer (Lead)
🏢 Terra Quantum
Role Type
Role Focus
Seniority
Employer Type
This role is for a Senior Backend Software Engineer leading the core team developing the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system. The engineer will own the overall backend architecture, focusing on high-performance Python services running on Linux and integrating with FPGA/embedded hardware subsystems. Key responsibilities include leading and mentoring a small development team, defining engineering standards, and ensuring predictable, secure software releases.
Key Responsibilities
Own the QKD backend architecture, including control-plane services, key post-processing integration, and external interfaces.
Lead and mentor software engineers, driving code/design reviews and ensuring efficient delivery cadence.
Coordinate with product, optics, FPGA, and embedded teams to plan milestones and de-risk system integrations.
Design and implement high-performance Python services on Linux, focusing on profiling and tuning for latency and throughput.
Develop and optimize QKD post-processing algorithms to maximize key rate and minimize end-to-end latency.
Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using Docker and GitHub Actions, incorporating automated testing and artifact management.
Establish observability (logging, metrics, tracing) and enforce security best practices (secure transport, secrets management, key handling).
Required Skills
5+ years of experience in Python backend development.
3+ years of experience owning service architecture and leading small teams.
Strong experience with Linux asynchronous Python (asyncio, websockets) and concurrency techniques.
Proven experience integrating with hardware/FPGA/embedded systems (UART/USB/PCIe/Ethernet).
Expertise in CI/CD implementation using Docker and GitHub Actions.
Experience establishing production observability (logging, metrics, tracing) and incident response practices.
Working knowledge of relational/key-value/time-series databases like PostgreSQL, Redis, and Prometheus.
Nice-to-have Skills
Experience with QKD systems, cryptography, or high-rate data pipelines.
Exposure to C/C++ for low-level interfacing and FPGA/embedded ecosystems.
Familiarity with gRPC/Protobuf, schema/versioning strategies, and Kubernetes.
Technology Tags
The entire role is dedicated to building the backend software system for Quantum Key Distribution.
The job focuses on building a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system, which is fundamentally an application of quantum information theory.
The job requires designing and implementing high-performance Python services and optimizing algorithms for latency and throughput.
The primary technical requirement is 5+ years of Python backend development, alongside potential use of C/C++ and Rust.
The responsibilities include developing and optimizing QKD post-processing algorithms for error correction and information reconciliation.
The role requires defining and maintaining robust interfaces with embedded/FPGA subsystems over various communication methods.
The responsibilities include owning secrets management, key handling, and configuration within the QKD system backend.