Staff Control Systems Architect - Photonic Quantum Computing About Xanadu: Xanadu’s mission is to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere. Few people in their life will be able to be a part of something like this, where if we are successful, the technologies we develop will solve some of the world’s most challenging problems and literally change the world. Xanadu is building fault-tolerant photonic quantum computers.

Our machines work only when hundreds of optical, electronic and digital subsystems behave as one coherent, controllable system. This includes lasers and phase locks, squeezed-light sources, photon-counting and homodyne detectors, programmable photonic circuits, and the electronics, ASIC, FPGA, and software layers that drive them. We are looking for a Staff Control Systems Architect to own that coherence.

Our ideal candidate is a senior individual contributor who thinks at the level of the whole machine and can still get an error‑signal scheme, feedback controller, or calibration algorithm right. As a team player with excellent communication skills, you will work together with engineers and scientists across our FPGA, electrical and analog‑IC, embedded software, laser system, state preparation, quantum architecture and systems integration teams. You will act as a bridge between these teams and leverage this synergy to turn a collection of subsystems into a working system and carry it through its lifecycle.

Own the architecture of the central control system for the next generations of our fault tolerant quantum computers: real‑time feedback and locking, feedforward and switching, initialization and calibration, timing and data flow. Define and document the interfaces and requirements between digital control, FPGA firmware, analog/mixed‑signal electronics and ASICs, embedded software and the optical hardware, and keep them consistent as the design evolves. Identify hidden dependencies and technical risks where different systems interact,



before such issues become expensive.

Deep hands‑on experience in control of complex physical systems: feedback and locking, error‑signal generation, loop shaping, real‑time digital control, noise measurement and budgeting, and the electronics behind them. A track record of architecting a system that several teams built against, including writing interfaces and requirements documents, and multiple rounds of improvements through system‑wide tradeoffs. PhD or equivalent experience in physics, electrical engineering or a related field, typically with 8+ years of subsequent experience in quantum or photonic hardware, precision instrumentation, gravitational‑wave or accelerator controls, semiconductor equipment, aerospace/defense controls, or comparable large‑scale systems.

FPGA development for real‑time control or DSP, including high‑speed ADC/DAC data paths. Familiarity with analog or digital ASIC design flows. Instrument‑control and lab‑automation software (Python;

Experience taking a research control system to a production‑quality, multi‑unit deployment.

Experience in leveraging artificial intelligence for system architecture and software or hardware design tasks. Empathy for how scientists, engineers, system operators, and users interact with Xanadu’s photonic quantum computers. Ownership of the control architecture of a fault‑tolerant quantum computer, alongside the teams who build the software and hardware.

A cooperative environment in which a well‑argued technical case changes the plan. They are fundamental and lay the foundation for culture at Xanadu. We are committed to building an inclusive, safe, and equitable culture and fostering an environment where our employees feel included, valued, and heard.

We are committed to meeting the needs of all individuals and support a barrier‑free workplace. ai. Please be advised that we may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the screening and assessment of applicants for this position. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us. #

📌 Staff Control Systems Architect - Photonic Quantum Computing (Toronto)
🏢 Xanadu
📍 Toronto