Metric
Quantum Theorist
Requirements
Requires a PhD-level physics background or equivalent research experience, strong grounding in quantum optics and quantum computing architectures, and the ability to build and maintain simulation code. The candidate should work independently and collaboratively; experience with atomic physics, light-matter interactions, cavity QED, optical hardware, research publications or patents, and AI tools is advantageous.
Job Description
Senior Research Scientist - Theory
Quantum Optics & Architectures | Quantum Computing
- London based
- Sponsorship available
About the opportunity
Metric is partnered with a growth-stage quantum computing company building hardware that's already live with enterprise customers. The business is entering its next development phase, backed by a strong IP position and a defined route to commercial scale.
This is a theory-facing role at the heart of how the hardware roadmap gets decided. You'll model and stress-test photonic architectures and light-matter interaction schemes, working out where the real performance ceilings are before anyone commits lab time or budget to them, then staying close enough to the experimental side to know when the models need correcting.
Core responsibilities
- Evaluate candidate quantum architectures and interaction protocols, weighing error, complexity, and scalability trade-offs
- Keep models honest, benchmark against real experimental data and refine component-level design accordingly
- Model both current and future generations of the hardware, working with the applications team to connect component behaviour to computational performance
- Feed findings into the wider research direction through publications, patent input, and internal technical reviews
What you need
- Solid grounding in quantum optics and quantum computing architectures
- Comfortable building and maintaining your own simulation codebases
- Can take a problem from first principles to a usable answer independently, but also plugs into a collaborative team
- PhD-level physics background or equivalent research experience
Bonus points
- Some grasp of atomic physics, light-matter interactions, or the practical constraints of optical hardware
- Experience modelling cavity QED or atom-ensemble light interactions
- A publication, preprint, or patent record in quantum tech
- Genuine interest in sitting between theory and experimental validation, not just one or the other
- Comfortable using AI tooling to speed up research output
If this sounds like you...apply today!
Education
Skills
About Metric
Metric is a New York-founded specialist executive search firm, recognised by the Financial Times as one of the fastest growing companies. Partnering with some of the world's most innovative businesses, Metric builds high-performing global teams across Life Sciences (Metric Bio), Infrastructure, Engineering (Metric Geo) and Data Centers (Metric DCX). Through Metric Exec, the firm delivers C-suite and board-level appointments across its sectors, from high-growth businesses to investor-backed portfolios. Metric is backed by Southfield Capital and operates from seven offices across the US and UK. New York | San Diego | Austin | Fort Lauderdale | London | Leeds | Nottingham