QEC Researcher (Frontier) at Riverlane (Cambridge, UK)
Job Description
Riverlane is hiring a QEC Researcher (Frontier) in Cambridge, UK. It is an early-career route into quantum error correction: an undergraduate degree in mathematics, physics or computer science is enough, and you learn QEC on the job while testing decoder ideas and turning research into production code.
At a glance
- Role: Quantum Error Correction Researcher (Frontier)
- Where: Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
- Pay: £50,000–85,000, depending on experience
- Level: undergraduate degree in maths, physics, computer science or similar
- Apply: open until filled (re-checked 11 October 2026)
About the Frontier QEC researcher role
- Test and evaluate possible solutions for Riverlane’s QEC decoder, and help turn early research into production-ready implementations
- Build practical QEC expertise alongside experienced colleagues, growing both scientific and software-engineering skills
- Work with internal teams and external partners to propose and optimise QEC protocols and experiments
- Write clean, well-structured code to test ideas, and contribute to the compiler and the wider QEC software stack
- Write papers and present your work at conferences
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
- An undergraduate degree in mathematics, physics or computer science, or a closely related field
- Methodical problem solving, including with loosely defined problems
- At least one programming language, preferably Python or C++, and experience with version control such as GitHub
- Eagerness to learn new concepts quickly, and a collaborative style: asking questions, sharing work in progress and building on others’ ideas
Nice to have
- Exposure to compilers, quantum error correction or quantum computing
- Strong fundamentals in computer science and software engineering
Pay and location
Riverlane lists a salary of £50,000–85,000, depending on experience. 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. 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
- Learn the basics first: the stabilizer formalism, the repetition code and the surface code are enough to start.
- Build something small: simulate a surface-code memory experiment with open-source tools such as Stim and PyMatching, and put it on GitHub.
- Think aloud: practise working through an open-ended problem step by step, since the role values methodical problem solving.
- Compilers: refresh how a compiler turns high-level code into instructions; it helps with Riverlane's compiler work.
- Show curiosity: read one of Riverlane's papers on decoding and bring questions to the interview.
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.
