A former student at ENS Cachan, Frédéric Magniez has a degree in mathematics and a doctorate in computer science. His thesis was awarded the Prix de l'Association française d'informatique théorique in 2000. He then became a CNRS researcher and worked at the University of Paris-Sud, before joining the Institut de recherche en informatique fondamentale (IRIF) at the University of Paris in 2010. His research focuses on the design and analysis of probabilistic algorithms for processing large masses of data, as well as the development of quantum computing, with particular emphasis on algorithms, cryptography and its interaction with physics.

A professor at École polytechnique from 2003 to 2015, Frédéric Magniez co-constructed the school's first lecture dedicated to quantum computing. In 2006, he created and led the national Quantum Computing working group, which currently brings together 20 research teams. From 2013 to 2017, he headed the Algorithms and Complexity team, whose quantum computing research is recognized worldwide. In 2015, he became deputy director of the Fondation des sciences mathématiques de Paris, a network of excellence bringing together 1,200 researchers in mathematical and computer sciences, before taking over as director of IRIF in 2018.