Mitacs Intern - Software Development Researcher At 1QBit

1QBit is dedicated to solving the world’s most intractable challenges by recasting problems to harness the power of quantum computing. We identify demanding industry problems and apply breakthroughs in computation to machine intelligence and optimization science to build software that allows applications to continually benefit from advances in both quantum and classical hardware.

We believe that quantum technologies will form the next pillar of computational progress. We research, benchmark, and build software development kits, online platforms, and applications that make the power of quantum computers accessible to researchers, developers, and industry-leading organizations so they can solve their most difficult problems in fields such as optimization, simulation, and machine learning.

As an interdisciplinary team of world-class mathematicians, physicists, operations research scientists, computer scientists, software developers, engineers, computational chemists, and quantum computing experts, we share a curiosity and drive to uncover new ways of solving currently intractable problems using advanced classical and quantum systems.

Your Role

This is a unique opportunity for a graduate level student with a passion for working at the frontier of new technologies. As a Software Developer on our Hardware Innovation Lab team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with scientists and engineers from various fields (quantum information and computation, computer science and engineering, etc.) to develop our software stack of tools for study and analysis of quantum hardware, circuit designs, noise model simulations, and algorithm performance. We are looking to fill the role as soon as possible for a minimum 8 month term in our Vancouver, Waterloo OR Sherbrooke office.

What You'll Bring

Members of our team bring a confluence of personality, skills, and intent that contributes to their individual development and our collective growth as an organization. Here is the complementary knowledge and mindset you’ll bring to our team:

• Eligibility for the Mitacs internship program (i.e., enrolled as a full-time university/college student or postdoctorate fellow. For more information, please follow this link: https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/accelerate)
• 1+ years’ experience with the full software lifecycle, including design, implementation, testing, operations, and maintenance A master's degree or higher in computer science/engineering, or equivalent experience
• Hands-on experience with software design and technical architecture, which includes design patterns and algorithms Proficiency and technical expertise with C++ and Python
• Familiarity with efficient algorithm design and performance profiling Familiarity with Git and Agile principles
• Development experience in a Linux/macOS environment
• Experience contributing to the design and implementation of scientific software or in collaborating with researchers Self-motivation and the ability to take initiative and follow through reliably
• A drive to proactively seek out opportunities to help move projects forward and contribute to their improvement
• An openness to soliciting feedback to improve your performance and, in turn, continually providing input to team members to elevate team performance and contribute to 1QBit’s culture
• An eagerness to learn about new trends, tools, and technologies, and to continually consider how these will influence our projects, including the implications and opportunities that they will bring
• A dedication to maintaining team unity and success through open communication
• A commitment to challenge the status quo, take smart risks, and be open to possible failure
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with both technical and non-technical team members A philosophy of continuous improvement and a passion for knowledge sharing
• Strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage tasks and meet deadlines

Nice to haves:

• Familiarity with discrete optimization and combinatorial optimization algorithms Knowledge of computational complexity and data structures
• Experience/familiarity with machine learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, Theano, Keras, PyTorch) Experience/familiarity with high-performance computing (e.g., GPU programming, FPGAs, etc.) Development experience in Unix-based environments and proficiency in Unix shell scripting Experience with parallel processing and setting up/operating distributed execution environments

What You’ll Do

At the core of this role, you will be responsible for the following:

• Using Atlassian tools (e.g., JIRA/Confluence) to track work and report progress towards Sprint goals Developing tools, product features, and developer tests in Python and C++
• Implementing, developing, testing, and maintaining software solutions in collaboration with the Hardware Innovation Lab scientists Working closely with the Hardware Innovation Lab scientists to understand the tools that need to be built
• Creating software development plans and presenting software design outlines to the team Championing software development best practices
• Maintaining and incorporating feedback on the implemented software tools Assisting researchers in contributing code to the software stack
  

How We Work

Operating in 1QBit’s Agile team structure, you will work in collaboration with fellow researchers, industry experts, and software developers on partner and client projects in various industry verticals. You’ll use the Scrum methodology to take an ownership role in autonomously managing your work and supporting your team in finishing project Sprints. You’ll contribute to 1QBit’s continuous improvement through Sprint Retrospectives and by providing input and ideas on every aspect of how our company operates.

At 1QBit, we take pride in our open feedback practice. Peer feedback and mentorship will allow to immerse yourself in our team’s thinking from day one and will, in turn, support the development of your own ideas through active, iterative collaboration with teammates on papers, patents, and technical reports. You will also join multidisciplinary teams made up of our own fundamental and applied researchers and software developers, alongside industry researchers, to explore the solution space of open questions in the field of quantum computing. Together, you will consider the fundamental implications of each project throughout the research and software development process.

Our work is guided by a shared set of values that are focused on five fundamental principles:

• Audacity – A drive to pioneer and apply new methods. To dream without limit and then do the hard work of bringing your ideas into reality.
• Open Thinking – A belief in the sharing of ideas. To approach each exploration with a receptive mindset and collaborate openly to produce the best possible results.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration – A respect for the diversity of people, backgrounds, and skills. A wide range of perspectives reveals a more complete landscape and yields deeper insights.
• Ownership – A feeling of pride in the work of the team and a deep sense of purpose and accomplishment from your contribution.
• Beginner’s Mindset – A desire to improve as an expert while retaining the curiosity and openness that inspired you to begin.

Who You Are

You share our belief that principles, not policies, enable individuals and teams to apply their unique lens in making decisions. Like all 1QBit team members, you thrive in our flat hierarchy of empowered individuals. You embrace the rigorous examination of the thoughts and work of diverse minds from multiple disciplines because you know it uncovers deeper insights and produces robust results. You believe there is no failure in exploration because new breakthroughs often require rigorous examination of multiple paths before a conclusion is reached. You have a desire to apply yourself to purposeful work that is inspiring, meaningful, and fun, to create value for the world by advancing the ability to solve complex problems. You have a relentless curiosity for exploring new methodologies and you have an intrinsic drive to architect the foundation of the quantum ecosystem because you love the challenges and understand the rewards that the next paradigm of computation will bring.