Senior Quantum Engineer - Digital Control Systems

At Microsoft Quantum, we aim to empower science and scientists to solve the worlds biggest problems by realizing advanced computing platforms at the intersection of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum information technology. For more information about our team, visit  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/quantum. 

We are seeking a Senior Quantum Engineer – Digital Control Systems to design and implement digital control infrastructure for cryogenic quantum control systems. This role sits within the quantum control team, which develops integrated control electronics that interface directly with quantum devices and enable scalable quantum systems. You will contribute to the design, implementation, and validation of high-performance digital control systems operating across room-temperature and cryogenic environments. 

This is a hands-on, multidisciplinary role at the intersection of digital design, system architecture, and experimental validation. You will work closely with system architects, analog designers, and experimental physicists to translate system-level requirements into robust, timing-critical digital implementations and drive performance across the control stack.

This role involves deep, technical work in a small, collaborative environment. We are looking for someone who is as passionate about their own contribution as they are to empowering and inspiring others. The candidate will be responsible for contributing to the technical direction of system development based on system requirements, hardware constraints, experimental results, and input from cross-functional colleagues.  

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond. 

Responsibilities

• Design and implement digital control subsystems that interface with cryogenic hardware and ASICs
• Develop timing-critical digital logic for real-time control and feedback of quantum hardware systems
• Perform field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation and timing closure, including constraint development and validation of complex designs
• Design and support high-speed digital interfaces and connectivity across multiple FPGAs and hardware subsystems
• Work extensively hands-on with hardware, including FPGA platforms, interconnects, and direct integration with cryogenic systems ("the fridge")
• Define and implement robust electrical interfaces, including considerations for signaling standards, bandwidth, latency, and synchronization
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize system-level tradeoffs across digital, analog, and cryogenic domains
• Support system bring-up, debugging, and validation in laboratory environments
• Other
  • Embody our Culture and Values

Qualifications

Required / Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 6+ years of technical engineering experience
  • OR Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of technical engineering experience 
  • OR Doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 1+ years of technical engineering experience 
  • OR equivalent experience 

Other Requirements:  

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: 
  • Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.  
  • Citizenship & Citizenship Verification: This role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the EU Dual Use Regulation, and/or other export control regulations. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide either proof of their country of citizenship or proof of their U.S. permanent residency or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export-controlled information. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status using other documents, where applicable.  
• Ability to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) tools to drive innovation and efficiency (e.g., measurement, performance modeling and analysis, research gathering, day-to-day task automation).
• Ability to work in an “AI-first” environment using modern AI tools to accelerate discovery through hardware development. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with FPGA design, including register-transfer level (RTL) development in Verilog, SystemVerilog, or Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL)
• Experience designing and debugging timing-critical digital logic in hardware systems
• Direct experience with FPGA-based hardware platforms, including bring-up, validation, and timing closure for complex designs with multiple clock domains and other performance constraints
• Thorough understanding of high-speed digital interfaces, including bandwidth, latency, signal integrity, and standard communication protocols
• Experience with real-time or low-latency digital control systems
• Experience working with hardware interconnects and system integration, including cables, connectors, multi-board systems, level shifting, voltage domains, and interfaces between digital logic and mixed-signal hardware
• Experience integrating digital systems with experimental hardware environments, such as cryogenic systems or similar laboratory setups
• Effective communication, documentation, and cross-team collaboration skills
• Ability to adapt and operate effectively in a fast-paced research and development environment

Quantum Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $160,200 - $261,000 per year.