Lead QEC Researcher at Riverlane (Cambridge, UK)
Job Description
Riverlane is looking for a Lead QEC Researcher in Cambridge, UK, to lead a group of quantum error correction researchers, set research priorities and turn new QEC ideas into results that move the company’s roadmap forward. The salary range is broad because Riverlane will consider different levels of experience.
At a glance
- Role: Lead Quantum Error Correction Researcher
- Where: Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
- Pay: £72,000–140,000, depending on experience, plus bonus and benefits
- Level: PhD or equivalent experience
- Hours: full-time, or part-time on request
- Apply: open until filled (re-checked 11 October 2026)
About the lead QEC role in Cambridge
- Do high-impact QEC research yourself while raising the level of the researchers around you
- Lead multi-person projects end to end with cross-functional partners
- Help decide which QEC problems Riverlane should work on as it scales
- Manage, mentor and support members of your team
- Work with external partners and customers, including hardware makers of every qubit type, and contribute to proposals for new projects and funding
- Share knowledge across teams, write and review code, and present your work at leading conferences and workshops
Every quantum computer makes errors far more often than a classical chip, so useful machines will need quantum error correction running continuously, with decoders fast enough to keep up with the hardware. Riverlane works on that layer for many hardware makers at once, which gives its researchers exposure to several qubit technologies.
What Riverlane is looking for
- A PhD in mathematics, physics, computer science or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience
- Proven ability to do high-quality theoretical work, for example through publications
- Experience driving scientific direction and leading projects involving several people
- Working knowledge of QEC, a mentoring mindset, and the ability to explain complex ideas clearly
Nice to have
- Led or carried out QEC research, shown by publications
- Knowledge of qLDPC codes and of one or more qubit modalities
- Experience leading a group of researchers across several projects with competing priorities
Pay and location
Riverlane lists a salary of £72,000–140,000, depending on experience, plus bonus and benefits. The role is based in Cambridge, UK. Riverlane’s UK package includes an annual bonus plan, private medical and life insurance, a contributory pension, equity, and 28 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.
How to apply
Apply through the official Riverlane job posting. Riverlane’s posting does not give a closing date, so the role is open until filled; ResearchJobs.in will re-check this listing on 11 October 2026. Riverlane will also consider part-time applications; state your preferred working schedule in your cover letter. Check the posting for location and work-authorisation details before you apply.
See all our quantum technology jobs, or browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Riverlane
Official advertisement: job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io
How to prepare for this application
- A research vision: sketch the QEC problems you would want a team to crack over the next one to two years, and why they matter commercially.
- Juggling projects: prepare an example of balancing competing priorities across a group.
- Technical range: expect questions on logical operations, magic states, decoders and code families beyond the surface code.
- Explaining clearly: practise presenting a QEC result to both specialists and non-specialists.
- Part-time: if you want reduced hours, say so plainly in your cover letter, as Riverlane invites.
About Riverlane
Riverlane's mission is to master quantum error correction (QEC), the technology needed to turn today's error-prone quantum machines into useful, fault-tolerant computers. The company has raised more than US$125 million for its QEC research and development, and works with many of the leading quantum hardware makers, across all qubit types, as well as with government agencies, while it builds a complete QEC stack.
