This internship program is within our Quantum Software (QSW) division. Interns work closely with Infleqtion’s Quantum Software Engineers and are paired with a mentor on the team. This program is intended to run for 10 to 12 weeks. Features of the program include:
- Contribution to cutting-edge quantum software solutions from application to middleware layers
- Weekly 1:1 meetings with your mentor to discuss summer projects and professional development
- Research talks from Infleqtion engineers and experts in the industry
- Primary internship location is Chicago, IL
Job Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities outlined below include potential functions of the role. Depending on business needs, this role may perform a combination of some or all of the following duties. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned.
- Conduct R&D toward cutting-edge advances in quantum technology with a focus on quantum compilation, similar to work described in https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.05157 and https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13247
- Deploy software optimizations to our cloud platform Superstaq using industry-grade software engineering procedures including documentation, linting, testing, and type-checking
- Interface with customers of Superstaq to understand their needs and support them in a timely fashion
- Contribute to development of government and commercial proposals and execution on global programs
- Collaborate with experimental physicists and software engineers to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practical implementation
- Engage with the broader scientific community by publishing research findings in scientific journals and presenting at conferences
- Stay up to date with the latest developments in quantum computer architecture, quantum compilation, quantum algorithms and applications, and related fields
- Provide guidance and support to other team members, fostering a collaborative research environment
- Tailor and apply quantum algorithms to real-world problems, analyzing their performance compared to classical methods
- Expand existing or develop new quantum algorithms for various types of real-world applications
Requirements
- Currently attending a degree program (computer science, engineering, physics, mathematics, or a directly related field) in the US, preferably in penultimate academic year when returning to degree program after completion of internship
- High proficiency in programming, with fluency in Python preferable or proficiency in alternative languages (e.g. C/C++ or Julia) with the ability to rapidly upskill in Python
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience with open-source quantum software frameworks such as Cirq or Qiskit (ideal candidates will have experience not only using these libraries but also modifying them)
- Experience with advanced open-source quantum software frameworks such as Stim
- Familiarity with best practices of professional software engineering such as coverage, integration tests, type checking, unit tests, and version control
- Experience with backend development with tools such as FastAPI for web frameworks and PostgreSQL/SQLAlchemy for databases
- Experience with cloud development, especially on GCP and AWS
- Familiarity with CI/CD, automated actions, issue tracking, version control, and other features on GitHub
- Familiarity with security core best-practices such as access control, encryption at rest, key rotation, and logging
- Exposure to or interest in front-end / GUI development, e.g., HTML/CSS, React, PyQt.
Required Materials
- Resume
- Cover letter
- Optionally, sample(s) of a past project (e.g., software project, technical/scientific writing, etc.) relevant to the duties and the responsibilities for this internship.
- Sharing publicly-available GitHub (or similar) projects is strongly recommended
Benefits
- This is a paid internship. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.
Applications will be reviewed starting February 28, 2026, with selected candidates notified in March 2026.
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What We Do
At Infleqtion, we are building an ecosystem of quantum technologies and commercial products for today, driving us, and the entire industry toward tomorrow. We believe in taking quantum to its limit and leading from the edge. Infleqtion is built on ColdQuanta’s 15 years of pioneering quantum research. Its scalable and versatile quantum technology is used by world-class organizations around the globe and deployed by NASA on the International Space Station. Infleqtion is based in Boulder, CO, with offices in Chicago, IL; Madison, WI; Melbourne, AU and Oxford, UK.
