We are looking for a Senior Staff Software Engineer for Application Engineering. As a Sr Software Engineer on the Applications Engineer team, you’ll be part of a cross-functional team whose mission is to deliver real-world applications and value from the leap forward in computing enabled by quantum technology. 

We don't just build the world's best quantum computers - we apply cutting edge quantum computing tools to real world problems. Until now, our team of Applications Scientists have been building prototypes, working closely with our customers. Our new department, Applications Engineering, will ultimately help transform proven quantum computing use-cases pioneered by our scientists into production applications, making those innovations available to more people and businesses by packaging and deploying these tools as SaaS applications.

But first, we must mature existing proof-of-concept quantum code into production grade applications. As a hands-on team lead for a new engineering team, you will work on enhancing developer experience (DevEx) by applying best practices to research-grade code. You will also set up CI / CD pipelines, software packing tools, and pre/post flight tests for new algorithms as they go into deployment. Where possible you will also be in charge of optimizing and parallelizing traditional algorithms, to reduce pre-processing and post-processing workloads. You will spearhead a new team taking newly invented quantum applications, and turning them into well defined modules of reliable SaaS applications. Think of it as being a forward-deployed engineer for quantum computing applications; the strongest candidates will be generalists with wide-ranging interests. 

This team will work closely with Developer Tools, Infrastructure, and Product teams to solve problems by choosing the right technologies, and standardizing and automating those solutions. The right engineer will be comfortable working on refining chemistry simplification via Quantum Computing tool one quarter, and turning a novel quantum topology solver into a service the next - and love pair programming with scientists. They’ll bring the quantum expertise; you bring the deep and broad experience in classical programming.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with Application scientists to help deliver cutting-edge solutions for customers
• Elevate Applications code quality generally through architectural review, code review, standards, and best practices
• Improve Applications pace of delivery by creating CI / CD pipelines and other packaging automation, as well as test infrastructure and coverage
• Help productize computing code, especially improving data processing in pre-quantum and post-quantum processing steps
• Work closely with peers in Applications, Developer Tools, and Product teams to share best practices and feedback on internal tools
• Reporting to the Director of Application Engineering, help hire and mentor developers on the team

You’d be a good fit with:

• 12+ years of experience as a backend or full-stack developer, preferably in Python or Golang
• 5+ years of experience in setting up and maintaining CI / CD pipelines, in Github Actions, Jenkins, or similar tools
• 5+ years of experience in C/C++ or Rust
• 3+ years of experience in Docker, k8s, or similar containerization technologies
• A track record of shipping containerized applications that solve real business problems
• Previous work in scientific computing, quantum computing, or a related field
• Daily usage of augmented coding tools like Claude or Gemini 

You’d be a great fit with:

• 5+ years of experience in scientific computing, especially with data analysis using numpy, pandas, or similar
• Experience in HPC or performance optimization
• Experience in converting traditional algorithms into CUDA, OpenMP workflows, or similar parallelization experience
• Experience with workflow orchestration engines like Airflow, Dagster, or Temporal

Location: This position can work onsite or hybrid from our office in Bothell, WA; College Park, MD; or Boulder, CO
Travel: 5% for quarterly travel for collaboration 
Job ID:  1312

The approximate base salary range for this position is $192,979 - $252,659. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.

We are looking for a Simulation Physicist to join our Ion Transport and Waveform Design team. As a simulation physicist, you’ll be part of a cross-functional team whose mission is to lead IonQ on its journey to build the world’s best quantum computers to solve the world’s most complex problems. 

In this role, you will study the physics of ion transport through numerical simulation. You will collaborate with experimental teams to validate simulation results and physics understanding, commercial teams to design transport waveforms used in our quantum computers, and quantum architects to inform the design of next-generation ion traps.

Responsibilities:

• Create, update, and maintain numerical simulation tools for ion transport in RF Paul traps.
• Validate simulation results in collaboration with experimental teams.
• Develop novel control schemes for fast, robust, and low-excitation ion transport.
• Deliver control voltage waveforms that implement the required operations for a trapped-ion quantum computer.
• Work with trap designers to incorporate novel transport techniques into future systems.

You’d be a good fit with: 

• PhD in atomic physics, quantum information, or a related field.
• Experience in numerical simulation and optimization to inform experimental design.
• Strong proficiency in programming and data analysis.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

You’d be a great fit with: 

• Experience with transport or waveform design in surface-electrode RF Paul traps.
• Experience using a compiled programming language (Rust, C, C++, etc.) for scientific computing.

Location: This role will work onsite in Boulder, CO or Oxford, UK.
Travel: Up to 10% (domestic and international)
Job ID: 1422

The approximate base salary range for this position is $110,336 - $144,459. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.

Location: This role can be based at our office in Bothell, WA (US) or in Oxford, England (UK).
Travel: Twice per year
Job ID: 1453

The Role

As a Staff Software Engineer for Developer Tools, you will be responsible for delivering the next generation of quantum compiler tools and features, with the focus of integration into quantum software applications, overall developer experience, documentation and developer tooling. Your work will involve setting high-level technical standards, mentoring senior engineers and scientists, and providing deep expertise to solve the most challenging problems in quantum compilation, optimization, and hardware interfaces. You will drive the adoption and enhancement of critical, user-facing compiler infrastructure, ensuring our tools are aligned with cutting-edge quantum research (e.g., advanced error mitigation, novel compiler optimization techniques). You will work across organizational boundaries, Compiler, QEC, Applications, and Engineering, to support scientific breakthroughs and define the technical strategy for packaging, documentation, and release processes for major components of IonQ’s developer tooling ecosystem.

The Developer Tools team builds the critical software layer for IonQ’s quantum software tools. In this Staff role, you will be a key driver in shaping the future of this ecosystem, and bridging the gap between critical parts of our engineering and computing organizations. Your impact will be measured by the successful delivery of critical, cross-functional projects and the elevation of technical execution across the entire team.

As a Staff Software Engineer, your influence extends beyond a single project; you define the technical bedrock upon which IonQ's developer ecosystem is built. The compiler is the critical interface where quantum algorithms are realized on hardware, and your architectural decisions will dictate the performance ceiling and accessibility of our systems. You will lead the charge in making advanced quantum techniques, from sophisticated hardware-aware compilation to state-of-the-art error mitigation, seamlessly available to every developer. This role offers the unique opportunity to leverage your deep experience to solve fundamental technical challenges, mentor the next generation of quantum software leaders, and accelerate the global adoption of quantum computing.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical strategy and roadmap for major components of the compiler toolchain, optimization suite, and developer interfaces, ensuring long-term maintainability and performance.
• Serve as the primary architect and technical lead for large, complex engineering projects spanning multiple teams (e.g., integrating a new compilation paradigm or full-stack error mitigation strategy).
• Drive the design and implementation of highly scalable and robust interfaces for hardware-specific compilation features, including advanced pulse-level control and system diagnostics.
• Establish best practices and mentor engineers on software architecture, design patterns, testing methodologies, and maintainership.
• Collaborate closely with research teams to evaluate, prototype, and productize novel quantum algorithms and compilation techniques, bridging the gap between research and production.
• Oversee the comprehensive documentation, examples, tutorials, and packaging strategy for all compiler-related developer tools to ensure ease of adoption and a world-class user experience.
• Act as a key technical resource for the Applications Engineering team, providing deep expertise to employ compilation techniques to solve customer-specific challenges and gather requirements for new features.
• Champion continuous improvement in software engineering processes, automated testing, CI/CD, and validation standards across the Developer Tools organization.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent training, fellowship, or work experience.
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a significant portion spent in a technical leadership or architectural role.
• Deep expertise in Python and experience designing and maintaining large-scale, performance-critical software systems.
• Expert-level understanding of quantum computing principles, quantum circuits, optimization techniques, and compiler fundamentals.
• Proven track record of driving complex, cross-functional engineering projects from concept to production delivery.
• Experience in system-level architecture and design, translating high-level requirements into clear, actionable technical specifications and implementation plans.
• A history of mentorship and elevating the technical capabilities of a multi-level engineering team.
• Familiarity with Agentic AI coding tools and techniques, and experience integrating them into modern software development workflows.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of authoring impactful technical papers, specifications, and external documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• An advanced degree (PhD or Master's) in Physics, Computer Science, or a related field with a focus on quantum computing or compiler technologies.
• Direct experience in compiler development (classical or quantum), particularly with optimization passes, intermediate representations, or static analysis tools.
• Deep expertise in system-level programming (C++, Rust) for high-performance computing or hardware interaction.
• Significant contributions to open-source software, especially in the quantum computing ecosystem (e.g., Qiskit, Pennylane, Cirq, ucc, jeff).
• Experience with low-level hardware control, pulse-level programming, dynamic circuits, or systems programming.
• A strong background in applied quantum error correction (QEC) or advanced quantum error mitigation techniques.
• A demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across organizational boundaries and secure buy-in for strategic initiatives.

The approximate base salary range for this position is $167,808 - $219,704 (USD). The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.

IonQ is seeking a strategic and visionary Software Engineering Director to lead the development and operation of the core services provided by the IonQ Quantum Cloud platform (try it out yourself: https://cloud.ionq.com). This role is pivotal in delivering access to our advanced quantum computers and simulators via our APIs in the cloud and on-prem. The Director will drive the technical direction of the IonQ Quantum Cloud API platform, ensuring it aligns with IonQ's overall business objectives and market opportunities in the rapidly evolving quantum computing landscape.

The ideal candidate will have experience leading or contributing to multiple simultaneous initiatives, balancing multiple activities with a keen eye for prioritizing for the biggest impact. You’ll be able to balance technical expertise and savvy with strong business judgment to make great technology choices with lasting impact. You’ll strive for simplicity and demonstrate significant creativity and incisive judgment. You'll enjoy learning technical topics, working across multiple business streams, and be uniquely positioned to help us reach the next horizon in secure quantum computing.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the technical roadmap for IonQ's quantum platform, aligning with business goals and market demands
• Own API design and versioning strategy for IonQ Quantum Cloud, ensuring APIs are consistent, well-documented, and a joy to integrate with
• Partner closely with developer tools leadership to ensure seamless integration between cloud services and client SDKs
• Drive cross-functional strategic initiatives, collaborating with product, research, and engineering leadership to define long-term technology choices and platform architecture
• Manage technical delivery of integrations with major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP), ensuring alignment with IonQ's cloud strategy and business objectives
• Develop and manage the cloud services portfolio budget, ensuring cost optimization and alignment with financial goals
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for the cloud platform, providing regular reports and insights to executive leadership
• Provide technical leadership and guidance in building robust, scalable, and innovative software solutions that can be deployed in a variety of contexts – including on-prem and hybrid environments

In your first three months, you will focus on assessing the current cloud platform strategy, identifying key areas for improvement, and delivering new capabilities to meet growing global demand.

You’d be a good fit with...

• 12+ years of progressive technical leadership experience, including significant experience in managing and developing large-scale cloud platforms
• 7+ years experience designing and operating cloud APIs and services at scale
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic plans, working cross-functionally to align technology initiatives with business objectives
• Experience in building and leading high-performing distributed teams, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence across multiple timezones
• Sufficient technical proficiency to engage thoughtfully with engineers about architecture and product design, offering valuable insights when necessary
• Experiencing shipping and operating business-critical distributed systems
• Experience managing teams using AI agents for engineering tasks
• Prior experience as a software engineer and team lead
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for different audiences (your staff, users, the company as a whole)

You’d be a great fit with...

• 18+ years of senior technical leadership experience, including experience at the director level or above (e.g., 30+ engineers organized in multiple layers)
• 10+ years experience designing and scaling APIs, with a proven track record of shipping interfaces developers love to use
• Experience owning a multi-tenant cloud API product end-to-end—from API design through deployment and operations—at scale
• Strong product and design sense
• Experience in driving organizational change and transformation in a rapidly evolving technology environment
• Experience recruiting and managing teams distributed across multiple continents
• Experience developing sustainable, in-house framework and abstraction layers
• Strong business acumen and experience in developing and managing the engineering platform for a significant business unit
• Experience managing rigorous incident response processes, on-call rotations, and retrospectives
• Personal experience writing software with AI agents
• Prior experience with building/scaling platform-as-a-service offerings
• Prior experience with quantum computing

Location: This role will be based onsite at our office in Bothell, Washington or our Headquarters in College Park, MD.
Travel: Up to 10%
Job ID:  1332

The approximate base salary range for this position is $221,925 - $290,558. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.

We are looking for a proven TPM with leadership and expertise in silicon device development that will  focus on the Quantum Processor Devices. You will own the new product programme execution for silicon device development within our quantum computing roadmap, will be responsible for the successful execution of new product development programs: translating complex technical work into clear plans, measurable milestones, and predictable delivery. As a TPM, you’ll be at the centre of a cross-functional team, working day-to-day with physicists and engineers, and partnering closely with external suppliers and internal stakeholders; to ensure work progresses with pace, clarity, and high attention to detail.

You will be working directly with the lead TPM and serve as a QPU cross functional program liaison with other technical and non-technical organizations across the company. You’ll create and run the operating rhythm that keeps teams aligned and leaders informed: building delivery plans, tracking dependencies, surfacing risks early, and producing decision-ready reporting that senior stakeholders can trust. Responsibilities will also include project planning, coordination, risk management, and stakeholder management. When priorities shift or technical issues emerge, you’ll drive structure into ambiguity; clarifying scope, coordinating trade-offs, and pushing problems to resolution while continuously improving how we execute across the hardware lifecycle.

Responsibilities:

• Lead silicon device development programmes (or workstreams), owning scope, schedule, resources, budget, dependencies, and stakeholder alignment using best-practice PM tools.
• Translating progress, risks, and trade-offs into clear, executive-ready reporting for senior stakeholders. 
• Drive cross-functional execution across physics, engineering, and partner teams; identify blockers early and take issues to closure with robust risk mitigation and contingency planning.
• Partner with device designers, physicists, and engineers to ensure designs are feasible, buildable, and aligned to programme milestones and deliverables.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills, able to align technical and non-technical stakeholders and drive decisions through competing priorities.
• Establish programme cadences and executive reporting (dashboards, status, decision logs), ensuring senior leaders have accurate, timely, decision-ready information.
• Support continuous improvement of engineering workflows across the hardware lifecycle.

You’d be a good fit with:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field. Advanced degree preferred.
• 13+ years’ experience as a Technical Program or Programme Manager delivering complex hardware programmes, ideally in chip design, silicon devices, or semiconductor manufacturing.
• Comfortable operating in a highly technical environment, and being a technically fluent TPM who can bring structure, pace, and precision to complex silicon device programmes. 
• Thrive in ambiguity, building trust quickly, and creating the delivery rhythm that keeps multiple workstreams moving across sites and time zones.
• Hardware programme experience and a sharp analytical mindset. Able to spot inconsistencies, interrogate data, and turn messy reality into an accurate plan, a credible forecast, and a practical set of next actions. Not just coordinating, but driving outcomes, unblocking teams, and raising the bar on how programmes are run.
• Highly analytical and detail-oriented, with strong problem-solving ability and confidence managing risk, dependencies, and changing scope in fast-moving environments.
• Comfortable with modern programme tooling and ways of working, for example Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, and GitHub, and motivated by the mission and pace of quantum computing.

You’d be a great fit with:

• In depth knowledge of semiconductor design and fabrication processes
• Working knowledge of semiconductor packaging and testing flows

Location: This role can be based in College Park, MD (US) or in Oxford, England (UK).
Travel:   Up to 20% in the US and Europe. 
Job ID:  1435

The approximate base salary range for this position in the US is $145,920- $191,047 (USD). The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.

Location: This role can be based at our office in Bothell, WA (US) or in Oxford, England (UK).
Travel: Twice per year
Job ID:  1452

The Role

As a Senior Software Engineer for Developer Tools, you will be a key contributor to the software that connects quantum developers to IonQ's hardware. You will focus on contributing to quantum compiler tools and features that our users and internal research teams depend on to run applications. You will build tooling to give users deep insights into how their circuits are optimized and create intuitive, user-friendly interfaces for hardware-specific compiler passes, such as quantum error mitigation and quantum error correction, and ensure our tools are robust and well-documented. You will work closely with our Compiler, QEC, and Applications teams to take new features through development, testing, documentation, packaging, and release, and use software engineering best practices to document, distribute, and use them in quantum software applications.

The Developer Tools team builds the critical software layer for the quantum ecosystem. In this role, you will help shape an ecosystem of tooling that turns high-level quantum circuits into optimized instructions for our quantum computers. Your work will directly impact the performance, reliability, and capabilities of quantum applications running on IonQ systems by focusing on the compiler's application-facing features and its connection to the hardware.

The compiler is where quantum algorithms meet quantum hardware. Your work sits at the heart of this critical transformation. The tools you build will define how developers interact with our systems, enabling them to extract maximum performance, trust the compilation process, and tailor optimization strategies for their specific use cases.

By focusing on compiler tools for applications, you empower developers to tackle real-world problems and push the boundaries of what's possible on quantum computers. You'll make advanced techniques accessible, from sophisticated error mitigation to hardware-aware compilation. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with world-class researchers and translate their innovations into production software that accelerates the path to quantum advantage for everyone.

Responsibilities:

• Design, build, and maintain compiler toolchains, optimization tools, and circuit transformation libraries for developer-facing applications.
• Work with the Compiler and Applications teams to package, test, and document new compilation features for both internal and external developers.
• Architect and implement interfaces for hardware-specific compilation features, giving developers deeper control and visibility.
• Integrate automated error mitigation, quantum error correction, and other advanced compilation strategies into our cloud platform and SDKs.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation, examples, and tutorials for compilation workflows.
• Support the testing and validation of compilation features across different IonQ backends and system configurations, and capabilities such as mid-circuit measurement and branching.
• Collaborate with the Applications Engineering team to understand and address customer needs related to compilation and circuit optimization.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent training, fellowship, or work experience.
• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience in team environments.
• Deep proficiency in Python, our primary language.
• Experience with quantum computing, with an understanding of quantum gates and circuits.
• Familiar with the fundamentals of quantum compilation, error mitigation and quantum error correction.
• Experience with software maintenance, user community stewardship and software engineering best practices.
• Experience working with research or academic concepts and integrating them into scientific software workflows.
• Familiarity with Agentic AI coding tools and techniques such as skills, docstring generation, code review, and software engineering best practices.
• A track record of creating clear, comprehensive technical documentation.
• Experience with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and scientific software validation.
• Strong collaboration skills, with experience working across research and engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 8+ years of professional software experience.
• An advanced degree (PhD or Master's) in Physics, Computer Science, or a related field with a focus on quantum computing.
• A background in compiler development for either classical or quantum systems.
• An interest in or experience with hardware-level and hardware-specific compilation, such as pulse-level control or dynamic circuits.
• System-level programming experience with C++ or Rust for performance-critical code.
• Deep experience with quantum compilers, circuit optimization, or quantum error correction.
• Experience with quantum computing SDKs (Qiskit, Pennylane, Cirq).
• Understanding of trapped-ion quantum computing systems and their specific noise characteristics.
• Proficiency with or strong interest in open-source compiler tools like ucc and jeff
• Publications or significant contributions to quantum computing research or open-source projects.

The approximate base salary range for this position is $145,920 - $191,047 (USD). The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.