Staff Software Engineer, ML/AI Calibration

About the role

D-Wave is seeking a Staff Software Engineer for the Calibration, Automation, and Tools team to design and build intelligent software that improves the calibration and operation of quantum processing units (QPUs). You will combine strong software engineering with hands-on machine learning and artificial intelligence experience to turn experimental data into reliable models, automated workflows, and tools used by scientists and engineers.

Working closely with physicists and quantum, software, firmware, and hardware engineers, you will take solutions from exploration and simulation through validation and production deployment. As an individual contributor, you will shape a single technology or product line and remain hands-on in delivering ML and AI improvements to calibration quality, reliability, and efficiency.

What you'll do

• Lead one or more projects within QPU calibration and automation software, coordinating cross-functional work with scientists and engineering teams as needed
• Develop and evaluate ML approaches for calibration and operations, including parameter estimation, surrogate modeling, anomaly detection, drift detection, and adaptive experiment selection
• Contribute to implementing process improvements for reproducible data and model pipelines, including data validation, training, versioning, deployment, and monitoring
• Partner with scientists to define meaningful metrics and compare models against established numerical and statistical methods using simulation, historical data, and controlled hardware experiments
• Integrate validated models into calibration workflows with appropriate operational limits, fallbacks, and traceability; investigate model failures and changing data distributions
• Architect and maintain Python services, REST APIs, relational data stores, and user interfaces that make experimental results and model behavior understandable and actionable
• Contribute to evolving technical processes and quality practices, helping improve testing, observability, and reliability within the team
• Mentor junior and new team members, participate in design reviews, and apply sound judgment when using AI-assisted development tools, independently verifying generated code and analyses

About You

• MS or higher in Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience
• 6+ years of professional software development experience, including delivery of production systems and contributing to technical decisions within your team
• Demonstrated ownership of ML initiatives from problem definition and model development through rigorous evaluation, operational deployment, and measurable outcomes
• Strong Python skills and experience with scientific computing and ML libraries, such as NumPy, pandas, SciPy, scikit-learn, PyTorch, or TensorFlow; proficiency in another language such as Go, Java, C, or C++
• Practical understanding of statistical modeling, optimization, experimental design, and model evaluation, including data leakage, overfitting, uncertainty, and reproducibility
• Experience translating a scientific or engineering problem into an ML task, choosing suitable baselines, and explaining results and limitations to domain experts
• Experience building maintainable services and REST APIs, using SQL and relational databases such as PostgreSQL, and developing interfaces with React, Angular, Vue.js, or comparable technologies
• Experience with Git, code review, CI/CD, AWS, and automated unit, integration, and end-to-end testing
• Familiarity with LLM-based coding assistants and sound judgment in reviewing their output for correctness, security, and maintainability

A D-Waver's DNA

• We look at the future and say "why not"; we see possibilities where others see problems or routines. We show the way ahead and are committed to achieving ambitious goals.
• We practice straight talk and listen generously to each other with empathy. We value different opinions and points of views. We ensure that we connect outside as well as inside to learn from others and inspire each other.
• We hold ourselves accountable for delivering results. We make decisions & take responsibility so that we can act & support each other.
• As leaders we motivate & engage our teams to undertake beyond what they originally thought possible, by developing our teams & creating the conditions for people to grow and empower themselves through enabling & coaching.

Pay and benefits

We believe providing D-Wavers with company ownership, competitive pay, and a range of meaningful benefits is the start of creating a culture where people want to give the best they've got - not because they're simply making money, but because they've fallen in love with our vision, mission, values, and team.

During the interview process, your Recruiter will review our total rewards (base, equity, bonus, perks, benefit, culture) offerings. The final offer is determined by your proficiencies within this level.

Inclusion

We celebrate diverse perspectives to drive innovation in our pursuit. Our employees range from distinguished domain experts with decades of experience in their respective fields, to bright and motivated graduates eager to make their mark. Our diverse and innovative team will make you feel appreciated, supported and empower your career growth at D-Wave.

The Fine Print: No 3rd party candidates will be accepted

Job seekers should be aware of fraudulent job offers from online scammers and only apply to roles listed on D-Wave Careers site using our applicant system. Note: We do not use text messaging or third-party messaging apps to communicate with applicants and will never ask for fees or financial commitment, so please exercise caution if you are approached in this way. Authentic communications will come from an @dwavesys.com email.

For more information, please read our full Statement Regarding Job Recruiting Fraud Scams.

The base pay range for this role is: $ 175,000 to 241,000 USD (New Haven)