Software Developer - Backend (Intermediate to Senior)

Location: Toronto, ON, Canada

Department: Software and Algorithms

About Xanadu

Xanadu’s mission is to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere.

At Xanadu, we are learners, innovators, researchers, collaborators and problem solvers. We are creating something that has never been built before. What we are doing is extremely hard, the classic moon shot. Few people in their life will be able to be a part of something like this, where if we are successful, the technologies we develop will solve some of the world’s most challenging problems, and literally change the world. And that is something to be excited about!

Your Role and Responsibilities

As a Software Developer, you will help build out the pennylane.ai ecosystem of products. The goal of pennylane.ai is to help pioneer quantum software development as a discipline and spread the adoption of PennyLane, an open-source framework for quantum machine learning, quantum computing, and quantum chemistry. No quantum software experience is required.

• Build, scale, document, and maintain products within the pennylane.ai ecosystem.
• Implement and design robust APIs for consumption by internal/external services and web front ends.
• Work with product owners to derive requirements and ensure designs are technically feasible.
• Maintain high-quality production code through automated test coverage and a dynamic code review process.
• Own a significant part of the domain, exploring and advocating for new technologies.
• Lead the design of large-scale, fault-tolerant, distributed systems.
• Develop and improve engineering processes to ensure developer efficiency and consistent product delivery.

Basic Qualifications and Experience

• BSc in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Math, or a related field.
• Years of Experience:
  • Intermediate: 3+ years of professional software development experience.
  • Senior: 6+ years of professional software development experience.
• Strong knowledge of modern development languages (Python, Go, or Rust).
• Proficient in PostgreSQL and SQL optimization.
• Experience using Docker, Infrastructure as Code, and deploying to cloud providers like AWS or Google Cloud.
• Strong communication, a product-minded approach, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Hands-on experience building large, fault-tolerant, distributed systems at scale.
• Advanced knowledge of distributed system patterns and performance tuning.
• Manage deployment pipelines using GitHub Actions, Docker, and Terraform.
• Proficiency in deploying and integrating with modern web frameworks (NextJS/React).
• Experience in a technical lead capacity or overseeing the delivery of complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Actively mentor developers on the team and foster a culture of continuous technical growth.

Our values are important. They are fundamental and lay the foundation for culture at Xanadu. Learn more about our values here.

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We are committed to building an inclusive, safe, and equitable culture and fostering an environment where our employees feel included, valued, and heard. We are committed to meeting the needs of all individuals and support a barrier-free workplace. Should you require accommodations at any point during the recruitment process please contact Recruiting at recruiting@xanadu.ai.

Please be advised that we may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the screening and assessment of applicants for this position. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.