Senior Rust Software Engineer
Vector Atomic
Summary
As a Senior Rust Software Engineer, you will serve as a technical leader within a rapidly growing, collaborative team of over 80 professionals delivering practical, transformational quantum technologies. In this high-impact role, you will architect and write production-quality Rust code, driving the software strategy for our advanced quantum instruments. You will collaborate deeply across disciplines with physicists, electronics engineers, and firmware engineers, taking ownership of system controllers, data acquisition pipelines, and critical control algorithms on ARM SoCs from concept to deployment.
Job description
Responsibilities
- Technical Leadership & Architecture: Lead the design and development of reliable, high-performance, production-quality software architectures in Rust.
- System Control & Drivers: Architect and verify system controllers on ARM SoCs, designing robust user-space drivers for complex peripherals (including mixed-signal devices) and low-latency data acquisition pipelines.
- Advanced Algorithm Implementation: Implement and optimize critical control loops and precision algorithms essential to the stability and operation of quantum sensing instruments.
- Hardware Integration & Bring-up: Partner closely with hardware teams to lead board testing, hardware bring-up, and the implementation of fault-tolerant error-handling systems.
- Quantum Software Infrastructure: Oversee the development and scaling of core software libraries used for the control and automation of next-generation quantum systems.
- Mentorship & Process Improvement: Champion continuous improvement within the development process—leading technical code reviews, project retrospectives, and mentoring junior engineers.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, with 6+ years of professional software engineering experience (with a proven track record in embedded or hardware-adjacent environments).
- To comply with the US export control laws, Vector Atomic employees must be U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e. green card holders), and certain categories of refugees, and asylees.
- Must be fully comfortable working hands-on in a laboratory environment alongside physical hardware and complex test setups.
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to bridge technical gaps between hardware engineers, software teams, and physicists.
Preferred Qualifications
- Extensive background coding in C/C++ or utilizing Python and its scientific libraries for data analysis and modeling.
- Deep expertise in designing, modeling, and coding advanced control algorithms (such as PID loops) and fixed-point digital filters.
- Advanced experience interfacing with external hardware devices through protocols like TCP/UDP, UART, SPI, and I2C.
- Comprehensive background working with SoC/FPGA architectures and developing specialized Linux device drivers.
- Highly proficient in using standard test and measurement equipment—including oscilloscopes, function generators, and voltmeters—to benchmark, validate, and debug software performance.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- 6+ years of professional software engineering experience
- Proven track record in embedded or hardware-adjacent environments
- U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency required (export control compliance)
- Comfortable working hands-on in a laboratory environment
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills
Benefits
- Platinum-level family health coverage
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- Employer 401(k) contributions
- 20 days PTO
- 11 paid holidays
- Paid parental leave
- Stock ownership plan
- Fully stocked kitchen
Company overview
Vector Atomic is a pioneering quantum technology company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Pleasanton, California. The company specializes in commercializing quantum technology for real-world applications, with a primary focus on GPS-free navigation, telecommunications, and computing solutions. Vector Atomic develops advanced quantum sensors, atomic clocks, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems that leverage the exquisite properties of quantum systems. Their flagship products include the Evergreen-30, the world's first fully integrated commercial optical clock, and quantum inertial measurement units (IMUs) designed to provide standalone navigation capabilities without reliance on GNSS. The company has secured over $200 million in government contracts and works closely with defense agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency, and DARPA. Vector Atomic's technology delivers precise picosecond timing with 1,000x improvement in GPS accuracy, making their systems deployable and field-validated for space, submarine, and airborne applications. In 2025, the company was acquired by IonQ, bringing over 75 specialized scientists, engineers, and operators to expand IonQ's quantum technology platform.