Q-Block Computing

Q-Block Computing

Senior Embedded Systems Architect

Ottawa, ON · Senior · Full-time

No sponsorship$130k-$165kDetected 15 days ago
C++Code ReviewCI/CDCybersecurityFPGAEmbedded SystemsElectrical EngineeringLeadershipCommunicationProblem SolvingCritical ThinkingMentoring

About the role

  • The role carries the architectural authority for a platform that has to be deterministic, maintainable, and manufacturable at once.
  • Establish subsystem interface specifications, communication protocols, and data pipeline architectures that enable deterministic, low-latency coordination across control units.
  • Contribute to technical proposals, architecture documentation, and IP capture processes as appropriate.

Responsibilities

  • They are equally comfortable drafting an interface control document, reviewing a peer's DMA configuration, and making a defensible build-versus-buy call on an RTOS.
  • Define and maintain the firmware and embedded systems architecture for a distributed, real-time control platform.
  • Design reusable firmware libraries, hardware abstraction layers, and board support packages that decouple application logic from hardware specifics.
  • Architect synchronization and timing distribution subsystems to support coherent multi-unit operation at sub-microsecond precision.
  • Collaborate with hardware, FPGA, platform, and systems teams to translate system-level requirements into clean embedded design specifications.
  • Mentor and develop Embedded Firmware Engineers and related technical staff; conduct code reviews, guide architectural decisions, and raise the standard of engineering practice across the group.
  • 8+ years of professional experience in embedded systems design, with at least 3 years in a system architecture or technical leadership role.
  • The company develops quantum timing, quantum-secure communications, and quantum computing platforms engineered for the performance, reliability, and environmental resilience that mission-critical applications demand - systems designed to be deployed, maintained, and trusted by operators who cannot afford ambiguity about whether the technology works.
  • Commercialization and science reinforce each other by design.
  • About this role: The Senior Embedded Systems Architect shapes the embedded control platform that drives Q-Block's quantum hardware - the firmware architecture, subsystem interfaces, and engineering standards that let a distributed, real-time control system scale reliably across products and generations.

Requirements

  • proven track record architecting multi-module firmware platforms that have shipped and been sustained.
  • Deep knowledge of ARM Cortex-M architecture, DMA subsystems, memory-mapped I/O, and real-time scheduling (bare-metal and RTOS-based).
  • Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring teams of embedded engineers, including code review, architectural guidance, and engineering-standards development.
  • Required qualifications Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering Physics, Physics, or a closely related field; Master's degree preferred.
  • Preferred qualifications Experience with precision timing and synchronization architectures (PTP, hardware-assisted synchronization, deterministic clock distribution across multiple nodes).

Nice to have

  • Experience with precision timing and synchronization architectures (PTP, hardware-assisted synchronization, deterministic clock distribution across multiple nodes).
  • Deep familiarity with mixed-signal systems, including ADC/DAC integration, analog front-end control, and timing-sensitive control paths.
  • Experience integrating FPGA-based co-processing with MCU firmware - AXI-style interfaces, shared memory, soft-core processors, or comparable patterns.
  • Experience with high-speed serial interfaces, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and automated firmware validation.
  • Experience with structured firmware release, CI/CD for embedded software, static analysis, and formal coding-standard enforcement.
  • Experience working in scientific, defense, or deep-tech hardware organizations, including the documentation and process discipline those environments require.
  • Experience recruiting and growing an embedded engineering team in a deep-tech hardware company.
  • Security and compliance requirements Must be eligible to obtain and maintain Government of Canada security clearance, if required for assigned projects.

Skills

  • Strong experience designing hardware abstraction layers and reusable driver frameworks across multiple IC families.

Compensation

  • $130,000 - $165,000 CAD per year; competitive salaries will be negotiated commensurate with experience - this range is a guideline About Q-Block Computing: Q-Block Computing builds quantum systems that operate in the real world.

Benefits

  • The long-term vision is deeper than any single platform.

Visa & Work Authorization

  • Security and compliance requirements Must be eligible to obtain and maintain Government of Canada security clearance, if required for assigned projects
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This listing is sourced directly from Q-Block Computing's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.