At a Glance
- Tasks: Join EY's Quantum team to innovate with cutting-edge quantum technologies and cybersecurity solutions.
- Company: EY, a global leader in professional services, committed to building a better working world.
- Benefits: Flexible work arrangements, competitive salary, wellness incentives, and comprehensive benefits package.
- Other info: Opportunities for career growth and collaboration with diverse teams on impactful projects.
- Why this job: Shape the future of technology while developing your skills in a dynamic, inclusive environment.
- Qualifications: Background in quantum computing, cryptography, or related fields; strong programming skills required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 70000 £ per year.
At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence. We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go. Join EY and help to build a better working world.
About the Next Frontier Applied Innovation's Next Frontier focuses on emerging technologies, including Physical AI, Quantum Computing, and Next-Generation AI amongst others. This initiative translates advanced capabilities into measurable outcomes, helping clients and EY teams improve decision-making, strengthen resilience, and unlock new opportunities through technology-driven solutions.
About the Delivery Team: EY advances innovation in Quantum by enabling regional quantum labs and supporting business-driven initiatives. The focus is on practical quantum technologies and framework that deliver measurable, enterprise-value level benefits.
Position Summary: The Quantum Associate will work on Quantum Technology initiatives. This role requires background, knowledge, and practical experience with the usability and impact of quantum technologies. There will be 60-70% focus on quantum safety and 30% focus on quantum compute.
Essential Responsibilities of the Job:
- Build & Commercialize: Lead and support development, demos, and presentations of solutions in both quantum cybersecurity and quantum computing domains.
- Quantum Safety: Contribute to the organization’s PQC (post‑quantum cryptography) readiness, including risk assessments, migration planning, and crypto‑agility improvements.
- Quantum Compute: Develop and evaluate quantum algorithms and workflows for optimization, machine learning, and simulation use cases.
- Software Development & Implementation: Build software kits and tools, design and implement architectures, benchmark performance, and employ best practices in software engineering.
- Thought Leadership: Produce clear leadership and sector presentations, assessment reports, standards, and executive‑level documents.
- Teaming: Collaborate with cross‑functional teams including security engineering, ML/AI groups, platform teams, and product stakeholders.
Quantum Specialist Responsibilities:
- Quantum Cyber: Assess quantum‑related risks (e.g., harvest‑now‑decrypt‑later exposure) and contribute to mitigation roadmaps.
- Prototype and benchmark PQC algorithms (e.g., ML‑KEM/Kyber, ML‑DSA/Dilithium) within services and applications.
- Maintain an index of how the current and upcoming proposed algorithms fare fully PQ safe and hybrid versions of the same against operational impacts to recommend appropriate migration roadmaps.
- Support development of crypto-inventory tools to detect legacy cryptography dependencies.
- Implement and test hybrid key exchange schemes and measure performance impacts (latency, throughput, resource usage).
- Assist with design and validation of crypto-agility patterns, certificate lifecycle updates, and key management transitions.
- Contribute to internal PQC migration guides, standards, and runbooks.
Quantum Compute & Algorithms:
- Develop accelerators using NISQ‑appropriate quantum algorithms (VQE, QAOA, QML) and industry SDKs for use cases.
- Run extensive testing and validation exercises to estimate viability, usage and support roadmapping of quantum utility for use cases.
- Build end‑to‑end prototypes for domain‑specific use cases such as optimization, simulations, modeling of Quantum as well as next frontier of Quantum & AI/ML tech.
- Perform resource estimation (qubit count, gate depth, circuit complexity) and evaluate classical–quantum tradeoffs.
- Maintain reproducible experimentation pipelines using Python, Jupyter, containerization, and CI workflows.
Knowledge and Skills Requirements:
- Foundational understanding of quantum computing principles, qubits, gates, NISQ constraints, and error mitigation.
- Working knowledge of post‑quantum cryptography, including KEMs, signature schemes, and cryptographic standards.
- Familiarity with PKI, TLS 1.3, certificate management, and key exchange mechanisms.
- Proficiency with one or more quantum SDKs: Qiskit, Cirq, PennyLane, AWS Braket, Azure Quantum/QDK.
- Strong Python programming capabilities, including numerical libraries (NumPy, SciPy, pandas).
- Understanding of classical optimization, linear algebra, and probabilistic reasoning.
- Experience with version control (Git), containers (Docker), and CI/CD workflows.
- Languages: Python, C++, Rust, or equivalent.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex concepts for different audiences.
- Analytical thinking and a structured, hypothesis-driven approach to problem solving.
Education & Experience:
- Bachelors or Masters in Physics, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, EE, Applied Math, or related field; or equivalent hands-on experience.
- 2-3+ years of Hands-on experience in at least one of the following areas: Post quantum cryptographic implementations, Applied cryptography or security engineering, Quantum algorithm development.
- Experience in quantum technologies, cryptography, or related computational fields is a plus.
- Publications, preprints, hackathon projects, or open-source contributions in quantum or applied security are highly desirable but not required.
- Familiarity with Cybersecurity fundamentals (public-key crypto, KEMs/signatures, TLS, PKI concepts).
- Understanding of post-quantum cryptography basics and current standardization landscape.
- Experience with at least one quantum SDK (e.g., Qiskit, PennyLane, or Azure Quantum QDK).
- Ability to design small experiments, analyze results, and write clear technical documentation.
What We Offer You:
- Career development: At EY, your career is yours to shape! We’ll develop you with future-focused skills and equip you with world-class experiences.
- Flexible work arrangements: Our flexible work policies empower you to balance your professional and personal life, fostering a culture of trust and autonomy.
- A comprehensive benefits package: From a yearly wellness incentive, to access to additional 8 weeks of flex leave per year, and family-friendly policies, including 26 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave.
Additional Information:
- EY acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which EY offices are located around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures, and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DE&I) are core to who we are, how we work and how we live our values. We encourage applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities, cultures, sexual orientations, and gender identities and are committed to providing an equitable and barrier free recruitment experience for all.
Are you ready to shape your future with confidence? Apply today.
Next Frontier Quantum Associate in Belfast employer: EY
At EY, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through tailored career development opportunities and flexible work arrangements that promote a healthy work-life balance. Join us in our Melbourne office to be part of a diverse team dedicated to shaping the future with cutting-edge quantum technologies while enjoying a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your personal and professional well-being.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Next Frontier Quantum Associate in Belfast
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the quantum tech space, attend meetups, and connect on LinkedIn. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Quantum Associate role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your projects related to quantum computing or post-quantum cryptography. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your quantum knowledge and practical applications. Be ready to discuss your experience with quantum SDKs and how you've tackled real-world problems in this field.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining EY and making an impact in the quantum world.
We think you need these skills to ace Next Frontier Quantum Associate in Belfast
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Quantum Associate role. Highlight your experience with quantum technologies and post-quantum cryptography, as this will show us you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Skills:Don’t just list your skills; demonstrate them! Include specific examples of projects or experiences where you've applied quantum computing principles or worked with relevant SDKs. This helps us see your practical experience in action.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to explain complex concepts, as we value strong communication skills. Remember, we want to see how well you can distill information!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands and shows us you're serious about joining our team at EY.
How to prepare for a job interview at EY
✨Know Your Quantum Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your quantum computing principles, especially around qubits and gates. Be ready to discuss post-quantum cryptography and how it impacts security. The more you can demonstrate your understanding of these concepts, the better!
✨Showcase Your Practical Experience
Prepare to talk about any hands-on projects you've worked on, especially those involving quantum algorithms or cryptographic implementations. If you've contributed to open-source projects or participated in hackathons, bring those up! Real-world examples will make you stand out.
✨Communicate Clearly
You’ll need to explain complex ideas simply, so practice distilling your knowledge into clear, concise language. Think about how you would explain quantum concepts to someone without a technical background. This skill is crucial for collaborating with cross-functional teams.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about EY's initiatives in quantum technology and how they approach innovation. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you understand if the company aligns with your career goals. Plus, it makes for a great conversation starter!