Software Engineer, Runtime

IonQ; Oxford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

IonQ, Inc. in Oxford is seeking a Systems Software Engineer to join the Runtime Software team.

You will work directly with experimental scientists to implement real-time control behaviours and provide abstractions they require for experiments, helping turn hardware into a scalable quantum computer. You’ll help shape the core Rust libraries and the execution environment, enabling fast iteration, reliable operation, and fault‑tolerant computation across our quantum systems, in a highly

Qualifications

• Expert in systems programming languages for real-time environments.
• Experience with Rust and/or C/C++ in scientific or hardware contexts.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop abstractions over real-time control hardware for nano-second precision.
• Contribute to the execution environment and core libraries for the quantum systems.
• Collaborate with scientists and cross-disciplinary teams to integrate software with hardware.

Skills

Rust

C/C++

Systems programming

Communication

Job description

IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum platform and merchant supplier - delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security. IonQ’s newest generation of quantum computers, the IonQ Tempo, is the latest in a line of cutting‑edge systems that have been helping customers and partners including Amazon Web Services, and AstraZeneca achieve 20x performance results and accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. In 2025, the company achieved 99.99% two‑qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance.

Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, IonQ has operations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Our quantum computing services are available through all major cloud providers, while we also meet the needs of networking and sensing customers across land, sea, air, and space. IonQ is making quantum platforms more accessible and impactful than ever before.

Location: Oxford, UK
Job ID: 1831

The Role

We are looking for a Systems Software Engineer to join our Runtime Software team at Oxford Ionics / IonQ. In this role, you will be responsible for working directly with the experimental scientists to implement the real‑time control system behaviours and provide abstractions they require for their experiments, contributing to the team’s mission of enabling our science teams to experiment and improve the primitive operations which allow compute, and building towards fault tolerant computation.

You’ll play an important part in shaping the core, Rust, libraries and the execution environment which take our system from a collection of hardware to a quantum computer, and support our work in building the world’s most advanced quantum systems.

Responsibilities

In this position, you will work on developing abstractions over real‑time control hardware, supporting the effective delivery of a control system capable of repeatedly and reproducibly driving our ions with nano‑second level precision, with abstractions which are conducive to both fast iteration and system scaling.

You’ll have the opportunity to accelerate the science core to the development of our systems, and contribute to the core execution model of our quantum computers, contributing directly to the success of building utility‑scale quantum computers.

Key responsibilities include:

• Collaborating with scientists to understand their requirements.
• Interfacing with system orchestration, non‑realtime control and compiler teams to ensure our work integrates seamlessly with the wider software architecture.
• Implementing drivers for various real‑time devices.
• Producing tooling to enable users of our code to iterate rapidly and fearlessly.
• Developing the execution environment for the user programs which run on our systems.
• Continually improving the APIs used by our internal users.

Requirements

To be successful, you will need expert programming skills in a systems programming language and a desire to produce high quality code appropriate to a real‑time environment. We’re looking for someone who can quickly iterate on low‑level code in a collaborative, cross‑disciplinary, environment and contribute effectively within a fast moving, highly technical team.

You’d be a great fit if you:

• Have strong programming skills in one or more mainstream programming languages
• Have experience with a systems programming programming
• Have an interest in or experience with Rust
• Have developed excellent communication skills both within the context of software and across disciplines
• Are comfortable working with rapidly evolving requirements
• Are used to maintaining and producing high quality code reviews and appropriate testing
• Have a desire to maximize impact through quick iteration and short cycles of learning and improvement
• Are eager to learn and develop your skills

Compensation will vary based on individual factors such as education, qualifications, and experience of the final candidate(s), specific office location, and calibration against relevant market data and internal team equity. Posted base salary figures are subject to change as new market data becomes available. Our benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, matching 401(k), unlimited PTO and paid holidays, parental/adoption leave, legal insurance, and a home technology stipend. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided when a candidate receives an offer of employment.

At IonQ, we believe in fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all while striving to identify and eliminate barriers. We empower employees to thrive by fostering a culture of autonomy, productivity, and respect. We are dedicated to creating an environment where individuals can feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued.

We are committed to equity and justice. We welcome different voices and viewpoints and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

US Technical Jobs. The position you are applying for will require access to technology that is subject to U.S. export control and government contract restrictions. Employment with IonQ is contingent on either verifying “U.S. Person” (e.g., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum) status for export controls and government contracts work, obtaining any necessary license, and/or confirming the availability of a license exception under U.S. export controls. Please note that in the absence of confirming you are a U.S. Person for export control and government contracts work purposes, IonQ may choose not to apply for a license or decline to use a license exception (if available) for you to access export‑controlled technology that may require authorization, and similarly, you may not qualify for government contracts work that requires U.S. Persons, and IonQ may decline to proceed with your application on those bases alone. Accordingly, we will have some additional questions regarding your immigration status that will be used for export control and compliance purposes, and the answers will be reviewed by compliance personnel to ensure compliance with federal law.

US Non-Technical Jobs. Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. Accordingly, we will have some additional questions regarding your immigration status that will be used for export control and compliance purposes, and the answers will be reviewed by compliance personnel to ensure compliance with federal law.

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