Senior Lab Automation Engineer

Applications deadline: We are conducting interviews actively and aim to fill this role as soon as we find someone suitable.   THE OPPORTUNITY   We're looking for a senior Security Engineer to own security at Apollo Research from end to end. You'll be the first dedicated security hire at Apollo. Security at Apollo exists to maintain the trust of our frontier AI lab partners and enable our research mission. This role sits within the engineering team and reports directly to the CEO.   YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO   - Build and own Apollo's security programme. Own the security roadmap, conduct risk assessments, and evolve the programme as the org grows. You decide what Apollo's security posture needs to look like given our size, threat model, and partner relationships. - Maintain the trust of our frontier AI lab partners. Become the primary security point of contact for partner security teams. Build relationships with partner CISOs, produce and maintain technical documentation on Apollo's security practices, and demonstrate that our security posture meets the bar required for our ongoing partnerships.  - Set security direction for engineering. Define security principles and AppSec strategy which the engineering team implements. Build paved roads that make the secure path easy for engineers. - Define how Apollo uses AI tools, agents, and integrations. Decide what's approved, what data can go where, and how new tools get vetted. This is a live and evolving challenge, and you'll need to balance security with the fact that researchers need to use cutting-edge tools to do their jobs. - Own the security tooling stack and automate security operations. Select, implement, and manage security controls including EDR/MDR, endpoint management, email protection, and identity management. Automate wherever possible: zero-touch deployments, IaC for security tooling, automated provisioning and deprovisioning. - Drive compliance and certification. Lead certification efforts (ISO 27001, SOC 2) as needed to meet partner requirements. Automate where needed and treat compliance as a byproduct of good security practice. - Own IT administration across the organisation. Manage Google Workspace, define access policies, and build secure onboarding and offboarding processes.   WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR   - Engineering mindset. You treat security operations and GRC as engineering problems. You reach for automation and systems solutions over manual processes. - Pragmatism. You understand that security exists to enable Apollo's mission and maintain partner trust, and you tailor your advice to our risk profile. - Leadership. You are capable of building out our security programme from scratch.  - Hands-on. In addition to leading the security programme, you are willing and able to drive implementation yourself. - Speed. You make good-enough decisions quickly and execute fast once a decision is made. - Adaptability to new developments. You have a strong base of knowledge that enables you to make decisions under uncertainty as AI tooling and the threat landscape evolve. - Stakeholder credibility. Non-security people trust you internally, and you can credibly represent Apollo to lab partner security teams externally.

ABOUT THE ROLE AND TEAM Since 2021 our team has been listed every year in the “Top 100 Startups worth watching” in the EE Times, and our technology breakthroughs have been featured in The Telegraph, BBC and the New Statesman. Our founders are internationally renowned researchers from UCL and Oxford University who have pioneered the development of qubits and quantum computing architectures. Our chairman is the co-founder of Cadence and Synopsys, the two leading companies in the area of Electronic Design Automation. We’re backed by a team of top-tier investors, and we have recently closed our Series C funding of $160 million. We bring together the brightest quantum engineers, integrated circuit (IC) engineers, quantum computing theoreticians and software engineers to create a unique, world-leading team, working together closely to maximise our combined expertise. Our collaborative and interdisciplinary culture is an ideal fit for anyone who thrives in a cutting-edge research and development environment focused on tackling big challenges and contributing to the development of scalable quantum computers based on silicon technology.   Our team of 100+ is based in Oxford and London, with a centre of mass in our Islington lab. OUR TEAM As the Head of Systems Delivery, you will report into the Executive Director and own the day-to-day technical execution of system delivery, turning strategic direction into reliable, consistent system deployments by bridging quantum engineering with system engineering. You will lead cross-functional teams to build, install, bring-up, stabilise, and gain acceptance of full-stack, silicon spin qubit-based quantum systems, both in our labs as well as at international client sites. This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on first-of-a-kind system build-out, delivery under uncertainty, and converting deployments into consistent, stable, and scalable delivery models. You will not be responsible for developing the core quantum technology, but you will be accountable for delivering it successfully, even when it is new and evolving. If your background is in quantum engineering or experimental physics and you’ve been deeply involved in bringing systems out of the lab and into reliable operation, we encourage you to apply. FUNCTIONS OF THE ROLE * Lead the day-to-day execution of system delivery and deployment, from planning through commissioning. * Own delivery timelines, dependencies, risks, and outcomes. * Build and continuously improve playbooks, documentation, and quality standards for system installation, bring-up, validation, stabilisation, and acceptance. * Coordinate across engineering (e.g., quantum hardware, software, system integration, IC validation, theory, cloud) and product to ensure delivery meets requirements. * Provide system-level feedback across the stack to support design for deployment, producibility, and manufacturability.  * Own system procurement, from requirements and supplier selection through purchasing and delivery, ensuring alignment with technical and delivery requirements. * Own readiness beyond go-live, including support, training, change management, and adoption for internal and client teams. * Lead the technical collaboration with customer-facing teams. * Provide technical input to proposals and tenders. * Travel domestically and internationally to QM and client sites.  EXPERIENCE - ESSENTIALS * Strong systems engineering, quantum engineering, or senior technical delivery background, grounded in hands-on technical experience. * Track record delivering complex, full-stack systems (hardware, software, infrastructure, and operations), including first-of-a-kind systems and their evolution into reproducible, stable deployments. * Ability to lead cross-functional technical teams through system installation, bring-up, integration, deployment, operational readiness, and acceptance. * Experience owning procurement and supplier relationships for technical delivery, including defining requirements, selecting suppliers, and purchasing hardware and services. * Strong technical judgment to understand system interactions, integration risks, and operational constraints, without owning core technology development. * Clear, effective communicator able to translate executive intent into actionable day-to-day technical delivery execution and represent delivery decisions confidently. * Willingness and eligibility to travel internationally. EXPERIENCE - DESIRABLE * Experience working with quantum systems, e.g., quantum computing and/or cryogenics. * Experience delivering other deep tech or research-driven systems, e.g., quantum-adjacent platforms, advanced hardware/software systems, HPC, semiconductors. * Experience working directly with customer engineering teams during system deployment, integration, or support. * Experience contributing technical input to proposals or tenders. BENEFITS * Be part of a creative, world-leading team * Competitive salary and share options scheme * Contributory pension scheme * Group private medical insurance scheme * Life Assurance * Cycle-to-work Scheme  * Central London location EEO STATEMENT Quantum Motion is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate based on age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, colour, religion, disability status, marital status, pregnancy, gender reassignment or any other protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010.