Software Engineering Manager - Control System

Your mission

As Software Engineering Manager – Control System at planqc, you will lead and support a growing team of engineers working closely with the hardware development of our neutral-atom quantum computer. You will ensure their personal growth, technical excellence, and delivery impact while driving the development of the control system software stack. In close collaboration with cross-functional teams, particularly hardware engineers and senior leadership, you will align technical execution with company strategy and product priorities, while fostering a healthy and collaborative engineering culture.

Key responsibilities

People Management

• Lead and support a team of engineers.

• Run regular 1:1s, mentoring, and career development conversations.

• Provide performance feedback and conduct evaluations.

• Hire, onboard, and retain top engineering talent.

• Foster a healthy, diverse, and collaborative team culture.

Technical & Project Management

• Drive execution through planning, prioritization, and delivery monitoring.

• Align team goals with company and product priorities.

• Ensure engineering quality standards (testing, reviews, documentation).

• Facilitate design discussions and guide technical decisions.

• Coordinate dependencies with hardware and software teams and proactively remove blockers.

• Communicate progress, risks, and needs to senior leadership.

• Support preparation and submission of new project and funding applications.

Your responsibilities

Necessary requirements:

• 3–5 years of experience in engineering leadership, or strong track record as senior engineer with team coordination experience.

• Solid technical background in embedded systems, control software, software architecture, distributed systems, and industry experience in hardware-related development.

• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop tests and integration with experimental hardware.

• Experience working in or with optics labs.

• Strong leadership and communication skills, with proven ability to build trust and motivate teams.

• Experience with project management practices and agile workflows.

• Fluent in English (spoken and written); German is a plus.

• Valid work permit for Germany or the EU.

Supplementary skills:

• Background in electronics, FPGA programming, or real-time systems.

• Prior experience in a startup or research-driven environment.

• Experience working with funding applications or R&D projects.