AWE have an exciting opportunity for a Quantum Computing Scientist to join our High-Performance Computing Group.

This role offers the opportunity to develop and apply your quantum computing skills to an area of national importance. AWE has a large and complex scientific computing capability, and we need to know where and when to adopt Quantum Computing (QC) approaches.

This is an exciting opportunity to participate and shape the growing Quantum Capability at AWE.

Location: We are located between Reading and Basingstoke, with onsite parking. There are good bus links between Reading, Basingstoke, and Newbury.

The successful applicant will need to be able to work from our Aldermaston site, but there is scope for a hybrid-working pattern.

Salary: 33,770 to 50,650 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

Closing Date: 17th January 2024

If we receive an exceptionally high level of applications, this vacancy may close early, so don't delay, apply now!

The Role:

In this role you will become an expert in one or more areas of QC developing and applying emerging Quantum algorithms.

You will work with academics supervising and steering collaborative work to develop those algorithms on both simulators and advanced hardware platforms.

There is the potential for travel opportunities for collaboration and to attend conferences.

You will also engage with application teams such as nuclear and electron physics, material properties, fluid dynamics or other areas of solving partial differential equations to understand requirements and facilitate future adoption of the algorithms.

Your work will contribute to assessing where and when (if at all) to adopt new quantum algorithms using relevant benchmarking strategies for evaluating quantum advantage. Working with the Quantum Technology (QT) teams you will articulate the benefits of new QC to our applications teams supporting their adoption.

The UK QT programme is large and complicated with stakeholders in academia, industry, and other laboratories. Across the QT teams we aim to link with all the key stakeholders, so in this role you will have the opportunity to engage across the QT community.

Who Are We Looking For?

Candidates applying for this role should have:

A master's degree in a scientific or STEM discipline, equivalent NQF level 6 qualification plus some relevant industry experience

or

A PhD in a scientific or STEM discipline, or equivalent experience in a relevant role

We would be interested in hearing from candidates who can demonstrate knowledge, skills, or experience in some or all the following:

Materials modelling (e.g., DFT, DMFT)

Nuclear or Electron shell modelling

Fermion-Qubit Mappings

Fault-Tolerant Algorithms

Application of analytical and numerical models

Optimisation

Collaborative working and good communication skills

In addition to the above you would be expected to have a specialist knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

Quantum mechanics

Quantum Computing

Quantum Information Theory

Using Quantum Simulators

What will you get from us?

As part of our People Promise, AWE (one of the best 25 big companies to work for in the UK) has a range of benefits to suit you. These include:

Time to recharge your batteries with 270 hours of annual leave (including Bank Holidays).

9-day working fortnight - our employees have every other Friday off work.

Flexible working hours.

Consideration for flexible working arrangements so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know on your application if you wish to work part time.

Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.

Opportunities for Professional Career Development that include funding for the annual membership of a relevant professional body, access to mentors and training.

Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.

A market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your own contribution).

Life Assurance.

Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending savings.

Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring for your family.

A host of voluntary & core benefits to suit your health and wellbeing - more information available on our careers site.

Important things you need to know:

Interviews will be 90 minutes in length and will be held over Microsoft Teams. You will be required to prepare a 10-minute presentation in advance.

Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE.

Agencies: Please note that we do not out-source our recruitment