Senior Photonics Test Engineer

Oxford Ionics; Oxford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary with stock options

Annual performance bonus

Generous annual leave

Flexible hybrid working

Private medical and dental insurance

Job summary

A leading quantum computing company in Oxford is seeking a Senior Photonics Test Engineer to own the experimental characterisation and validation of photonic devices. This lab-first role involves designing and operating optical test setups, testing and characterising components, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate should have strong optics fundamentals, experience in metrology, and a collaborative mindset. Join us for a role that shapes the future of quantum computing with competitive salary and benefits.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with optical metrology in a lab environment.
• Proven ability to design and calibrate optical test setups.
• Confidence with data analysis and turning results into recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Run experimental testing and characterisation of photonic devices.
• Design, assemble, validate and calibrate optical measurement setups.
• Analyse and interpret experimental data, presenting insights to stakeholders.

Skills

Optical metrology

Component characterisation

Data analysis

Optical test equipment design

Lab instrumentation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in optics/photonic engineering

Tools

Optical test equipment

Microscope-style metrology setups

Job description

Oxford Ionics, now part of IonQ, is pioneering the next generation of quantum computing. Using our world-leading trapped-ion technology, we’re building the most powerful, accurate and reliable quantum systems to tackle problems that today’s supercomputers cannot solve. Joining Oxford Ionics means becoming part of a global IonQ team that is transforming the future of quantum technology - faster, at scale, and with real world impact.

IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum company delivering solutions to solve the world’s most complex problems. IonQ’s newest generation quantum computers, IonQ Tempo and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are the latest in cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners such as Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results. The company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance in 2025.

The company is accelerating its technology roadmap and intends to deliver the world’s most powerful quantum computers with 2 million qubits by 2030 to accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. IonQ’s advancements in quantum networking position the company as a leader in building the quantum internet.

What to expect

We’re looking for a Senior Photonics Test Engineer to join our photonics effort and own the experimental characterisation and validation of photonic devices and components that support our quantum computing platform. This is a lab-first, hands-on metrology role: you’ll design and operate optical test setups (often microscope-style systems with stages, alignment, and calibration) that generate trusted data and clear pass/fail decisions on device performance.

You’ll sit close to the action; working day-to-day with photonics, device, and hardware teams. Turning real measurements into feedback that improves designs and accelerates iteration. If you like building robust measurement rigs, tightening repeatability, and making experimental data genuinely useful, this one’s for you.

What you'll be responsible for

You’ll take ownership of testing, characterising, and validating photonic components and devices, and you’ll help raise the bar on how we design and run metrology in the lab. This role blends practical optical engineering with strong experimental discipline: selecting components, designing measurement approaches, running experiments, and turning results into clear technical direction for the wider team.

Responsibilities include:

• Device characterisation: Run experimental testing and characterisation of photonic devices/components using advanced optical equipment, producing clear, defensible results.
• Metrology setup design: Design, assemble, validate and calibrate optical measurement setups to improve capability, throughput, and repeatability.
• Data + reporting: Analyse and interpret experimental data, presenting insights to stakeholders and guiding performance optimisation.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with engineers and scientists across the stack to translate measurement outcomes into next-step design and test priorities.

What you'll need

You’ll be someone who’s genuinely happy spending most of your time in the lab, building and operating optical test rigs and treating measurement quality (calibration, repeatability, documentation) as a craft. You don’t need to be the world’s leading integrated photonics expert but you do need strong optics fundamentals, a track record in metrology / characterisation, and the ability to take a setup from “idea” to “trusted tool” that the team can rely on. Bonus points if you’ve automated acquisition/analysis pipelines and improved measurement throughput in previous roles.

• Strong experience with optical metrology / component characterisation in a hands-on lab environment.
• Proven ability to design, assemble and calibrate optical test equipment or microscope-style measurement setups.
• Confidence with data analysis and turning results into clear technical recommendations (automation skills a plus).
• A collaborative mindset—comfortable working across teams and communicating experimental outcomes clearly.

So why us?

Be part of a team that’s shaping the future of quantum. We offer more than just a role, you’ll join a world class community of scientists, engineers and innovators working to unlock the full potential of quantum computing.

We offer a range of benefits, including opportunities to further your career alongside industry leaders, a competitive salary with IonQ stock options, an annual performance bonus, generous annual leave, flexible hybrid working, private medical and dental insurance for you and your family, and much more.

Join us and be part of the future of quantum computing.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.