A method of solving a large scale combinatorial optimization problem including inputting, via at least one processor, an objective function and an initial solution as a mapping from a plurality of n nodes, randomly clustering the plurality of nodes into k clusters of n/k nodes each, for each cluster of the k clusters, assigning binary variables to denote each possible permutation of a label set within the cluster, determining that there are u=k2 variables if k>2, and u=1 variables if k=2, expressing the objective function in terms of the un/k variables, solving the objective function in terms of the un/k variables using a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) solver to obtain an updated solution, determining whether a convergence criteria is satisfied for the updated solution, and upon a determination that a convergence criteria is satisfied, outputting the updated solution to the objective function.