Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) Test Manager

Role Overview

Role:

We are looking for a HIL (hardware-in-the-loop) Test Manager to build and lead the team that owns our hardware test infrastructure: the systems our quantum-computer control software is tested on before it ever touches a real quantum system.

Every software and science change is validated against shared test systems before it reaches a quantum computer. We are now investing in the next generation of these: representative QA systems for fast feedback, and staging systems as close to a production quantum system as possible, with all the real-time and non-real-time hardware. You will define these systems, build them with our manufacturing team, and own them through their life: maintenance, upgrades to each programme baseline, and availability to the teams that depend on them.

This is a build-from-scratch role with budget and rack space already allocated. You will also act as our test architect: we have deep physics and engineering expertise, and you will bring the formal software-testing experience to shape what gets tested where (simulation versus real hardware) and how testing gates releases. You will start with one engineer hire alongside you and grow the team deliberately, turning the test estate into a reliable service the engineering teams depend on.

Responsibilities:

You will own the hardware test estate end to end and define how it is used. That includes making the estate self-service, with clear reservation and scheduling, published state and availability, and runbooks. Teams own their tests and what they gate on; your team owns the rigs and the plumbing.

You will hire, develop and lead a small team, starting with a hardware-focused test systems engineer, and work across the business with the wider Quantum System Infrastructure (QSI) teams, Compute IT, Facilities, Manufacturing, Software and Science.

Key responsibilities include:

• Own the hardware test estate: today's CI systems through to the new QA and staging systems for our current and future quantum-computer programmes.
• Define the test-system architecture: which systems exist, what each one represents, and how teams use them.
• Plan and deliver new test-system builds with Manufacturing, and own ongoing maintenance and upgrades so every test system tracks its programme's current baseline.
• Shape the testing strategy with the software teams: what runs in simulation or against emulators, what requires real hardware, and how hardware-in-the-loop results gate releases.
• Drive automation throughout: provisioning, firmware flashing, recovery and configuration of test systems as code, not manual effort.

Requirements:

We are looking for an experienced test leader who can bring structure, ownership and pace to how we validate software against real hardware. We treat QA and test as one discipline. You will have a working knowledge of modern CI/CD (GitHub Actions or comparable) and an automation-first instinct: repeatable and reliable over manual and heroic. You will be able to guide and review test-automation development in Python or similar; you direct the code, you do not have to be its main author.

These systems serve many teams, so strong collaboration and low ego matter: you will need to bring people with you as ownership and ways of working evolve. You will be comfortable with ambiguity and building from scratch in a fast-moving technical environment. Experience in quantum computing is not required. Experience with complex hardware and software systems or similarly demanding engineering environments is an advantage.

You’d be a great fit with:

• A strong software testing and QA background covering test strategy, test infrastructure and continuous integration. This is the core requirement.
• Experience owning test infrastructure where software is validated against real hardware, for example network and security appliances, autonomous vehicles, drones or defence systems, robotics, or other embedded products.
• Test-architecture capability: designing representative test environments, deciding what to test where, and balancing simulation against hardware-in-the-loop.
• Practical understanding of the pitfalls of testing with hardware in the loop, such as flaky devices, contention for rigs and environment drift. Deep hands-on electronics skills are not required.
• Experience leading or building a small testing team or function.