At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of cutting-edge quantum computing applications and mentor a dynamic engineering team.
- Company: Fast-growing startup at the forefront of quantum computing and financial services.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, flexible working, and comprehensive health benefits.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities to work on frontier technologies.
- Why this job: Join a mission-driven team and make a real impact with innovative technology.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in software engineering, strong leadership, and experience in cloud-native platforms.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
About The Company
We are a fast‑growing startup at the intersection of quantum computing and financial services, applying cutting‑edge technology and innovative solutions to solve complex business problems for our clients. Our mission is to deliver real‑world impact through high‑quality product development, operational excellence, and strategic client engagement. We value collaboration, curiosity, and ownership, and are building a team that thrives in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment.
About The Role
We are seeking a Lead Engineer to take ownership of core technical components of Quibitra’s applications and help translate advanced research into scalable, production‑grade systems. This is a hands‑on leadership role, where you will design and build high‑performance, cloud native services that power quantum and quantum‑inspired applications. You will work closely with quantum researchers, data scientists, and product teams to ensure that complex algorithms are delivered reliably to enterprise customers.
You will act as a technical leader within the engineering team, setting standards, guiding architectural decisions, and mentoring engineers while remaining deeply involved in the code. This role is ideal for an engineer who thrives in complex problem spaces, enjoys working at the intersection of research and engineering, and wants to build systems that push the boundaries of computation.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and own the long-term technical architecture roadmap aligned
- Build, own and maintain infrastructure for backtesting, live trading and model validation at scale
- Own the design and development of key platform components, including services supporting quantum and quantum‑inspired applications
- Define and implement scalable, cloud‑native architectures for high‑performance and data‑intensive workloads
- Translate quantum and machine learning research into production‑ready systems
- Act as a technical authority for your domain, guiding architectural decisions and engineering approaches
- Write high‑quality, maintainable code across core platform services and APIs
- Build and operate distributed systems with strong focus on performance, reliability, and scalability
- Develop data pipelines, APIs, and compute services supporting advanced algorithms and simulations
- Contribute to system optimisation, including performance tuning and efficient resource utilisation
- Establish and uphold best practices in software engineering, including testing, CI/CD, and code quality
- Improve observability, monitoring, and reliability across platform services
- Support adoption of modern engineering practices, including DevOps and cloud‑native tooling
- Ensure systems meet security and enterprise‑grade standards
- Work closely with quantum scientists, data scientists, and product teams to deliver impactful solutions
- Support end‑to‑end delivery from prototype to production
- Balance innovation with reliability, ensuring enterprise‑grade outcomes
- Contribute to technical planning and prioritisation
- Mentor and support engineers, helping to raise the overall technical bar of the team
- Contribute to a collaborative, high‑performance engineering culture
- Provide guidance and support on complex technical challenges
Required Experience
- 7+ years of experience as a software engineer, with experience as a senior or lead engineer in a high‑growth or technically complex environment
- Strong background in software architecture and distributed systems
- Good experience in financial market and trading systems is highly desired
- Experience in setting up and maintaining
- Good experience in dealing with financial markets data, including platforms such as interactive brokers.
- Good experience with establishing and maintaining connectivity with brokers and exchanges and familiarity with related protocols.
- Experience building and operating cloud‑native platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
- Proven ability to translate complex technical or research concepts into scalable production systems
- Experience delivering high‑reliability, secure software platforms for enterprise or data‑intensive use cases
- Strong hands‑on programming experience in modern languages (e.g. Python, Go, Java, or similar)
- Experience working in cross‑functional teams with product, research, or data science stakeholders
- Ability to balance technical depth with pragmatic delivery
Ideal Experience
- Exposure to quantum computing frameworks (e.g. Qiskit, Cirq) or quantum inspired optimisation techniques
- Experience in machine learning, optimisation algorithms, or scientific computing
- Background in high‑performance computing (HPC) or large‑scale data processing
- Experience building developer platforms, APIs, or data‑intensive systems
- Experience in fintech, trading systems, or complex analytical platforms
- Contributions to open‑source projects or technical publications
- Advanced degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary with potential for bonus and equity participation
- 25 days annual leave, private healthcare, dental, life insurance, wellbeing support, and learning budget
- Opportunity to work on frontier technologies at the intersection of quantum computing and AI
- Flexible working arrangements and a collaborative, intellectually curious team
- Access to state‑of‑the‑art cloud quantum hardware and simulation environments
- A mission‑driven environment focused on delivering real‑world impact through advanced technology
Head of Engineering / Lead Engineer in London employer: Qubitra
At Quibitra, we pride ourselves on being a fast-growing startup that thrives at the intersection of quantum computing and financial services. Our collaborative and intellectually curious work culture fosters innovation and ownership, providing employees with unique opportunities to engage with cutting-edge technology while contributing to impactful solutions. With competitive salaries, flexible working arrangements, and a strong focus on employee growth, we are committed to building a high-performance engineering team that pushes the boundaries of computation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Engineering / Lead Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. A personal connection can often get you a foot in the door faster than any application.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a portfolio or GitHub with projects that highlight your engineering prowess, make sure to share it during interviews. It’s a great way to demonstrate your hands-on experience.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on your coding skills and system design principles. Practice common algorithms and data structures, and be ready to discuss how you’d tackle real-world problems.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our team. Plus, it gives you a chance to showcase your enthusiasm for our mission.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Engineering / Lead Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Tech:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for cutting-edge technology shine through. We want to see how your curiosity and ownership can contribute to our mission of delivering real-world impact.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in software architecture and distributed systems. We’re looking for someone who can translate complex concepts into scalable systems, so be specific about your past projects and achievements.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured applications that get straight to the heart of your qualifications and how they align with our needs. Avoid fluff and focus on what makes you a great fit!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
How to prepare for a job interview at Qubitra
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially cloud-native platforms and distributed systems. Brush up on your programming skills in languages like Python or Go, and be ready to discuss how you've applied these in real-world scenarios.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Lead Engineer, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to guide and mentor others. Prepare examples of how you've led teams, made architectural decisions, and contributed to a collaborative engineering culture. Highlight any experience you have in setting standards and best practices.
✨Connect Research with Engineering
This role requires translating complex research into scalable systems. Be prepared to discuss your experience working with cross-functional teams, particularly with quantum researchers or data scientists. Share specific instances where you’ve successfully bridged the gap between research and practical application.
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Questions
Expect to face technical challenges during the interview. Practice solving problems related to high-performance computing, data pipelines, or financial market systems. Think through your approach to optimising performance and reliability, as these are key aspects of the role.
