About the role
About the team
The Sensing R&D team at Q-CTRL transforms quantum research into deployable technologies that address real-world problems. We design, build, and field-validate an array of quantum sensors that support our key products, including Ironstone Opal - our solution for GPS-denied navigation.
You don’t need a background in quantum to make an impact here. We value strong engineering fundamentals, a product mindset, and a drive to solve the hardest engineering problems in quantum sensing today.
About the role
Join Q-CTRL to turn cutting-edge quantum sensing technology into robust, manufacturable products deployed on real-world airborne, maritime, and uncrewed platforms. As the Team Lead for Magnetic Navigation Systems, you will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for developing and delivering advanced navigation systems.
We are engineering novel navigation systems from scratch, integrating custom sensor heads, controllers, real-time computer hardware, to deliver a product. This role requires a technically grounded, decisive leader who commands the respect of world-class domain experts, bridges cross-team handoffs cleanly, and drives focused execution through others.
You do not need a background in quantum physics. We value deep-tech experience, strong engineering fundamentals, operational discipline, and a proven ability to lead execution across interdependent teams.
What you'll be doing
- Drive execution and pace: Own the team’s delivery cadence, translating high-level product goals and cross-department initiatives into structured, measurable execution milestones. Break down complex, first-of-their-kind engineering objectives into clearly scoped, sequenced, and trackable work packages.
- Cross-team delivery synchronization: Partner closely with peer Team Leads across Sensing R&D to coordinate shared delivery schedules and merge multidisciplinary outputs into unified product releases, achieving department wide milestones. Connect company, division, and department priorities directly to team objectives, ensuring engineering efforts solve the right problems at the right level without unnecessary complexity.
- Establish technical buy-in: Facilitate rigorous technical debates, build strong consensus among senior specialists, and drive unified commitment to execution plans.
- Coach and develop talent: Manage, mentor, and support direct reports across engineering levels, provide continuous coaching, conduct performance reviews, and build a high-accountability and psychologically safe team environment.
- Leadership partnership: Partner with Product Managers on scope trade-offs and Technical Leads on architectural integrity, ensuring aggressive multi-team delivery targets maintain uncompromising technical standards.
Ideally you'll have
- Deep-tech systems track record: Demonstrated experience delivering complex hardware-software products designed from the ground up in deep-tech, robotics, defense, or advanced engineering environments.
- Cross-functional and inter-team collaboration: Proven success working alongside peer engineering leads, coordinating technical dependencies, and aligning multi-team deliverables toward overarching departmental goals. Ability to articulate plans, trade-offs, and critical risks with clarity to both direct reports and executive leadership
- Technical authority and fluency: A solid engineering foundation (in science, embedded, electronics, or hardware) that allows you to challenge assumptions, earn technical credibility, and guide senior domain experts.
- Execution Discipline & Delivery Risk Management: Proven success establishing team cadence and decomposing complex requirements into actionable backlogs, with the ability to proactively track cross-team dependencies, eliminate delivery bottlenecks, and make pragmatic trade-offs across scope, schedule, and quality in fast-evolving environments.
- People leadership and coaching: Experience formally managing engineers, with a structured approach to mentoring, performance management, and career development.
It would be fantastic if you have these skills/experience but not essential
- A PhD, or equivalent industry experience, in atomic, molecular, and optical physics or a closely related discipline.
- Hands-on experience with quantum sensor hardware, such as lasers, optics, electro-optical systems.
- Experience with products integrating custom physical sensors, embedded electronics, and real-time processing.
- Exposure to defense, aerospace, or dual-use development environments.
- Familiarity with defense, aerospace, or high-reliability qualification standards (e.g., DO-160, DO-178C, or Safety of Flight / SOF qualification pathways).
- Experience with uncrewed vehicles (UAVs, UUVs), robotics, or dual-use defense technology.
About Q-CTRL
Q-CTRL is the global leader in AI-powered quantum control infrastructure software. We build the tools that make quantum technology useful, solving the hardest challenges in quantum computing and quantum sensing to deliver real-world impact.
Founded in 2017, we operate globally with offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Huntsville, Berlin, and Oxford. Our teams bring together technical and multi-disciplinary expertise across the product lifecycle, and we’re hiring talent to help scale every part of the business. We work quickly to turn cutting-edge science into deployable technology.
In 2024 we raised US$113 million in Series B funding, the largest aggregate investment for a quantum software company. Six months later we delivered the first commercial quantum advantage with Ironstone Opal, our field-validated quantum navigation solution for defense and industry.
At Q-CTRL, we prioritize outcomes over hours. We offer flexibility, equity potential, and competitive benefits that reflect our high-performance culture. If you’re ready to help shape the future of quantum, we’d love to hear from you!
Please be advised that our communications will only come from the @q-ctrl.com domain. All our active job postings are available on our company website.
To recruitment agencies, we do not accept unsolicited branded profiles and are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.