Staff UX Designer, QEC Community Platform

Seattle, WA, USA | Full-time | Permanent |  

Salary: $160,000 - $195,000 USD, DOE 
 

The salary range for this role is broad as we are able to consider varying levels of experience.  Any offer made will carefully take into account level of experience (including relevant industry experience), transferable relevant skills and previous relevant achievements.    

We will also consider part-time applications for this role. Please indicate your preferred working schedule in your cover letter.   

About us  

Riverlane’s mission is to make quantum computing useful, sooner. From advances in material science to complex chemistry simulation for drug design and discovery, quantum computers will help solve some of the world’s most important challenges. Riverlane is building the quantum error correction stack, Deltaflow, to make this happen. It’s a complex problem that requires a range of skills, talent and passion.  

We recently raised $75M in Series C funding to accelerate our cutting-edge R&D in quantum error correction (QEC), and are partnering with many of the world’s leading quantum hardware providers and government agencies to make fault-tolerant quantum computing a reality. We’re making remarkable progress and growing fast.  

About the role 

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Staff UX Designer to join our rapidly growing open-source software team, as we embark on a brand-new program to create, build and develop a suite of engaging educational tools to support the wider quantum ecosystem. 

As quantum computing enters a new “QEC era” marked by significant advancements in quantum error correction and fault tolerance, it presents new technical challenges and a growing need to empower the next generation of learners and innovators. 

Riverlane has committed to leading the QEC community into fault-tolerant quantum computing by making a substantial investment in a new open-source tools strategy, complemented by scalable education and enablement.  We aim to accelerate advances in QEC research by building Riverlane’s open-source software (OSS) libraries and developer APIs to provide critical tools for QEC workflows, such as logical circuit generation, simulation, decoding and noise modelling.  As Riverlane integrates Deltaflow QEC decoding capabilities into QPU providers, the community will need to upskill to prepare for working with logical qubits and error corrected systems. 

Today, QEC research is dominated by three software tools: Stim, PyMatching and BP-OSD.  Various combinations of these allow rapid simulation of QEC protocols, particularly variants of the surface code. 

As a Staff UX Designer at Riverlane, you will be a leading member of the Community Software team to help with the hands-on development and delivery of a new educational platform that will enable customers to upskill on QEC and use our software and hardware products, supporting Riverlane’s world-class QEC science mission. 

What you will do  

Reporting to the Senior Engineering Manager, Open-source Software, as Staff UX Designer, you will be a leading member of a team of engineers dedicated to rapidly building and iterating on an educational software platform catering to the QEC user community. This exciting role is a fantastic opportunity to help pioneer and build software products that will empower the next generation of learners and innovators in QEC. 

In this role, you will: 

• Shape the product and UX roadmap for Riverlane’s educational and customer training platform 

• Drive the vision and execution of our user experience design across products that support Riverlane’s educational and enablement strategy as a QEC solution provider 

• Collaborate with cross-functional science and engineering teams to design an intuitive user experience for our software products that enable quantum error correction workflows 

What we need  

• Proficiency in design software like Figma or Adobe Creative Suite 

• Experience in a design role, such as UX designer or graphic designer, and leading or significantly contributing to large projects in an interdisciplinary team 

• Experience with UX research, connecting deeply with technical users to make sure that we are “solving the right problem”, not just “solving the problem right” 

• Proven track record of successfully shipping delightful experiences that meet both technical and user experience needs 

• Ambition and excitement to enable the QEC user community with impactful and user-centric tools 

• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to discuss and champion complex ideas with both internal teams and the user community in a hybrid work setting, in a clear and simple way 

• An effective team leader, mentor and collaborator, with the ability to work well with others both in person, and virtually 

• A passion for learning and a curious mindset 

Even better if you have  

• Experience with designing UX experiences for applications in or adjacent to Quantum Computing, such as tools for quantum circuit building or quantum education applications 

• Basic or advanced understanding of QEC and its implementation in practice 

• Proven ability to design, drive and complete major UX projects to successful completion 

• Experience with quantum computing ecosystem tools, and quantum circuits 

• Experience working adjacent to scientific researchers in one or more of the following areas: quantum error correction, quantum computing, quantum simulation, quantum information, physics, engineering or related fields 

What can you expect from us  

• A comprehensive benefits package that includes an annual bonus scheme, private health insurance, life insurance and a contributory retirement fund 

• Equity, so that our team can share in the long-term success of Riverlane  

• Generous annual leave, and enhanced family leave  

• A diverse work environment that brings together experts in many fields (including software and hardware development, quantum information theory, physics and maths) and over 20 different nationalities   

• A learning environment that encourages individual, team and company growth and learning, including an annual training and conference budget   

How to apply  

Please upload a CV and covering letter by clicking 'Apply Now'. Your covering letter should explain why you are applying for the job and what skills and experience you can bring to the role.  

We review CVs as we receive them and interview as soon as we have applications that look like a good match (usually within one week). We do not use closing dates. So, please apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this role.  

If you have any queries, please contact [email protected].  

Everyone is welcome at Riverlane. We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from eligible and suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender reassignment, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity/paternity.  

Women and other underrepresented groups may be less likely to apply for a role unless they meet all, or nearly all, of the requirements.  If this applies to you, we still encourage you to apply - you may be a great fit, even if you don’t meet every single qualification. We’d love to hear from you. 

If you need any adjustments made to the application or selection process so you can do your best, please let us know. We will be happy to help.