Position: Quantum Benchmarking Initiative Researcher

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Opportunity Overview:

Technergetics is seeking to hire up to five mid-level to senior-level Physicists, Mathematicians, Logisticians, Computer Scientists, Computer Engineers, Systems Engineers, and Operations Research experts. While a research background is a valuable and applicable skillset for these positions, the objective of them is evaluation, not research.

These positions will work closely with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s cross-organizational Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) team to review, validate, and document approaches enabling revolutionary advances in design, engineering, testing, and evaluation in the domain of fault-tolerant quantum computing and exploring computational workflows that include quantum computing procedures. The primary goal of the QBI program is to determine if any emerging approaches to quantum computing can achieve industrially useful operation exponentially faster than conventional predictions.

Position Details

Salary Range: $75,000-$150,000 annually. The successful candidate’s salary will heavily depend on how many position qualifications the candidate meets, in addition to education and experience. This is a full-time exempt position.

Remote performance is expected for this position and Technergetics will consider candidates from across the United States. Regardless of location, a successful candidate can expect to travel to the Washington DC area (DARPA), and Support or Performer sites across the country 10%-40% of any given month. Daily activities include frequent VTC meetings and may also require limited/periodic nonstandard work hours to accommodate meetings with team members and Performers across multiple time zones.

Responsibilities and Duties

The day-to-day activities of DARPA’s QBI team include performing tasks to identify, select, capture, evaluate, and document the metrics and approaches that DARPA’s commercial Performers are developing and applying to build fault-tolerant, utility-scale quantum computers (USQC). The QBI team is responsible for generating and executing plans to assess the timeline, performance and operation metrics, and plausibility of each Performer’s technology. Candidates will verify a Performer’s ability to build a USQC that operates as intended, and they will document, report, and justify the findings.

Typical work can be divided into three categories:

1. Review and Evaluation

• Rapidly digest large quantities of complex Performer-specific technical details, perform relevant independent evaluations, and generate standardized Government artifacts summarizing independent assessments of that material
• Evaluate quantum computing architectures, devices, algorithms, and applications including utility and maturity
• Identify Performer subsystems and components required to successfully design and construct the system
• Discover, develop, implement, execute, evaluate, analyze, articulate, and justify models and simulations at the component, subsystem, and system levels
• Assess DARPA and Performer requirements; capture and document the level of maturity of these elements
• Identify, assess, and capture design, development, and integration risk
• Identify the Performer’s interface approach
  • For efforts with an existing Interface Control Document (ICD), review the information and identify any shortcomings. It may be necessary to convert the Performer-provided ICD to a common framework identified/developed by the Government evaluation team.
  • For Performer efforts that do not have an existing Interface Control Document, assist the Performer to track system interfaces through an ICD or similar document.

2. Documentation and Reporting

• Assist non-traditional performers to complete design reviews
• Participate in system concept and readiness reviews
• Perform prototype subsystem System Requirements Review (SRR) through Final Design Review (FDR) and prototype construction
• Assist with diverse evaluation and documentation activities
• Identify, implement, and apply standardized Government and systems engineering products, practices, and documentation

3. Professionalism and Teamwork

• Work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, physicists, scientists, engineers, and subject matter experts to identify problems and synthesize solutions which can be integrated into preexisting workflows and processes
• Discover, develop, and lead novel workflows to enhance and improve evaluation processes as new Performers are added to the program
• Cultivate a professional and respectful environment of cooperation by listening and considering the views of others.
• Be willing and able to seek opportunities for collaboration with personnel from other functional units (finance, contracting, etc.) and other technical areas of participating organizations to accomplish work-related activities.

Education and Certifications: 

This project requires, at minimum, graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in a Science, Mathematics or Engineering discipline.

A Master of Science degree or PhD in Engineering, Logistics, Computer Science/Engineering, Operations Research, or related field is preferred.

Qualifications:

• 1+ years of professional experience in physics, mathematics, computer engineering, operations research or closely related position is a plus
• Knowledge and experience with photonic principles, devices and circuits, integrated photonic chips, and similar
• Knowledge and experience with superconductor principles, devices and circuits, integrated superconductor chips, and similar
• Knowledge and experience of the principles and practices of using other viable quantum information modalities, such as solid-state devices, atomic systems, etc. for elements of scalable quantum computation
• Knowledge and experience with standard Systems Engineering (SE) frameworks and practices (SysML, DoDAF, etc.); Experience with DoE SE practices is a plus.
• Familiar with typical DoD reviews, including technical review products and organizational structure
• Experience with development/execution of modeling and simulation tools and related software tools and techniques
• Ability to leverage mathematics and statistics to analyze, visualize, and explain complex and unstructured data
• Comfortable speaking to diverse audiences; capable of organizing and conveying abstract/complex ideas and concepts
• Able to expediently generate focused and detailed work product based on evolving/general/nebulous task requests
• Understand USAF/DoD structure and current strategic guidance; able to follow and respect the chain of command
• Comfortable engaging in frequent and recurring video teleconference (VTC) meetings (camera on)
• Candidates absolutely must be capable of working independently to produce timely products, with a mindset that embraces the flexibility required to define and follow the procedures for DARPA’s new and evolving QBI program

The following advanced knowledge of quantum computing is a plus:

• Experience planning, performing, and conducting experimental quantum research using computer simulations and mathematical models
• Specific experience with quantum computing hardware, especially valuable if it is across multiple qubit modalities
• Specific experience developing quantum algorithms designed for fault-tolerant quantum computers
• Expertise in quantum resource estimation tools and techniques for analyzing quantum circuits
• Experience or academic background in Quantum Error Correction and quantum fault tolerance

Background Check: 

Applicants selected will be subject to a background investigation, which must be deemed favorable to maintain employment.

Benefits: 

Our benefits package includes health, life, disability, dental, and vision insurance coverage and a 401(k) policy with a 3% company contribution & 3% company match.

Other perks include generous Paid Time Off (including a PTO “gift day” for your birthday), 11 Federal Holidays per year, three weeks paid maternity/paternity leave, and annual technology “allowances”.

Wait! Even more perks include referral bonuses, professional recognition awards, healthcare stipends, tuition/education reimbursement (once specific requirements are met), and flexible daily start and stop times for most projects and positions.

Company Description 

Technergetics is a US-based company headquartered in Utica, NY, with employees and clients located throughout the country. The Utica/Rome area is a hub of cutting-edge cyber technology research, bolstered by the Griffiss Business & Technology Park’s tenants and facilities, including the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). At Technergetics, we work with a wide variety of technologies, including mobile and web apps, Quantum computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence, AI-enabled edge devices, and many more.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.