Applied Scientist

About Quilter

At Quilter, we are helping electrical engineers save time and accomplish more by automating the tedious and time-consuming task of designing printed circuit boards (PCBs). Our small team is composed of experts in electrical engineering, electromagnetic simulation, ML/AI, and high-performance computing (HPC). We are inventing and leveraging novel techniques to solve the decades-old problem of automating circuit board design where today hundreds of billions of dollars are spent. We have raised $25 million in Series B funding from some of the very best and are charging full-speed toward our goal.

No matter where we come from, we're united by a common vision for the future and a core set of values we think will get us there:

1. Curiosity
2. Conviction
3. Rigor

Quilter is seeking Senior to Staff C++ Engineers to join our engineering teams developing the next generation of automated PCB design. You'll design high-performance C++ algorithms, data structures, and systems that tackle some of the hardest challenges in computational geometry, optimization, high-performance computing, and physics simulation. As a senior engineer, you'll shape the technical roadmap, mentor peers, and help build the foundation for superhuman PCB design.

You may contribute to one of several specialized teams:

• Core Router Team: Build the algorithms and data structures that fundamentally define how circuit boards are routed, creating scalable, physics-aware routing engines.
• Homotopy Team: Refine raw routing outputs into high-quality, manufacturable layouts using geometric transformations that enforce real-world PCB design rules.
• Router Agent Team: Develop the infrastructure, parallelization, and APIs that power reinforcement learning agents and routing algorithms at massive compute scale.
• Physics Team: Implement geometry checks and physics simulations-electromagnetic, thermal, and manufacturing-to validate routed boards for real-world performance.

What You'll Do

• Architect and implement high-performance C++ libraries, algorithms, and systems for routing, optimization, and simulation.
• Design scalable data structures and computational methods to handle complex PCB design challenges.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work with domain experts across different disciplines.
• Provide mentorship, technical reviews, and guidance to elevate the team's engineering practices.

What We're Looking For

• 3-10+ years of industry experience maintaining and extending large, high-performance C++ codebases in collaborative environments.
• A strong academic background with deep expertise in one or more of the following areas: computational geometry, graph algorithms, optimization, high-performance computing (HPC), meshing, numerical methods, physics simulations, or related fields.
• Proficiency in Python for prototyping and integration with ML systems.
• Experience architecting and scaling large, collaborative C++ codebases.
• Strong mathematical and algorithmic intuition, with ability to translate theory into production systems.
• Leadership skills in mentoring, reviewing, and guiding engineering direction.
• A passion for pushing the boundaries of what's possible in automated circuit design.

Nice to Have (General)

• Advanced degree (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) in computer science, computational physics, robotics, or related fields.
• Experience with reinforcement learning, CAD/EDA tools, or physics-based optimization.
• Exposure to GPU programming (CUDA), parallel/distributed algorithms, or HPC frameworks.
• Contributions to open-source geometry, simulation, or HPC projects.

Nice to Have (Per Team)

• Core Router Team: Expertise in graph theory, computational geometry, operations research, optimization, numerical analysis, or simulation.
• Homotopy Team: Background in geometric constraints, optimization methods, or mesh refinement.
• Router Agent Team: Expertise with parallel programming, distributed systems, HPC frameworks, or API design.
• Physics Team: Knowledge of simulations, physics engines, finite element methods (FEM), high-performance compute, or distributed compute.

Please note : We are an equal opportunity employer. At this time, we are focused on hiring primarily within the US, with occasional exception to accommodate exceptional talent.

What we offer:

• Interesting and challenging work
• Competitive salary and equity benefits
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Regular team events and offsites (~4x / year)
• Unlimited paid time off
• Paid parental leave

Want to learn more about Quilter, our vision, and our investors? Visit our About page and visit our Blog.