Quantum Hardware Operations Physicist (Oxford)

Physics World; Oxford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vis

Matching 401(k)

Unlimited PTO and paid holidays

Parental/adoption leave

Legal insurance

Home technology stipend

Job summary

IonQ in Oxford, UK is seeking a Physicist, System Operations to join the Resilience Engineering & Operations team on-site. You will operate, maintain and improve trapped-ion quantum computers, taking ownership of maintenance and performance while working with cross-functional teams to ensure reliability and clear understanding of system behavior.

The role sits at the intersection of physics, hardware operations and system reliability, with opportunities to shape operational excellence across our

Qualifications

• Strong experimental background in physics, optical engineering or related physical science.
• Hands-on experience with complex technical systems in a lab or hardware environment.
• Experience with telemetry, data analysis, scripting or software tools (Python, Rust).

Responsibilities

• Operate, maintain and optimise complex quantum systems.
• Participate in on-call rotations to support uptime.
• Develop observability, automation and operational practices.
• Interpret telemetry to diagnose issues and guide troubleshooting.
• Collaborate across teams across time zones and locations.

Skills

Physics background

Optical engineering

Hardware operations

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in physics or engineering

Tools

Python

Rust

Job description

IonQ in Oxford, UK is seeking a Physicist, System Operations to join the Resilience Engineering & Operations team on-site. You will operate, maintain and improve trapped-ion quantum computers, taking ownership of maintenance and performance while working with cross-functional teams to ensure reliability and clear understanding of system behavior.

The role sits at the intersection of physics, hardware operations and system reliability, with opportunities to shape operational excellence across our