Senior Photonic Test Development Engineer

Physics World; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 127,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision plans

401(k) matching

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

IonQ in Boston, MA is seeking a Senior Photonic Test Development Engineer to join our Quantum Interconnect Division. Youll help design and scale testing infrastructure for photonics devices at chip and wafer level, integrating room-temperature and cryogenic setups.

Collaborate with design, packaging and system teams to develop robust test flows, automate data pipelines, and document procedures. A strong background in optical spectroscopy, free-space optics, and Python or Matlab for test

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience in optical spectroscopy or equivalent.
• Master or PhD in engineering, physics, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with room-temperature optical test setups.
• Strong data processing, visualization, and organizational skills.
• Familiarity with free-space optics and imaging systems.
• Experience with laser sources and fiber components.
• Programming experience in Python or Matlab for test automation.

Responsibilities

• Design, upgrade, and expand testing infrastructure for characterizing classical and quantum photonics devices and components at chip and wafer level, including room-temperature and cryogenic setups.
• Develop and document robust testing procedures for component-level characterization.
• Automate the test pipeline, including instrument setup, data acquisition, and analysis, with scalable, well-tested flows.
• Collaborate with design, packaging, and system teams to optimize testing features and develop a library of test flows for platform improvement.

Skills

Optical spectroscopy

Test instrumentation

Data processing

Free-space optics

Imaging systems

Laser sources

Fiber components

Python/ Matlab

Education

Master's or PhD in engineering or physics

Job description

About IonQ

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 .

Job Details

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 .

Location

This role will work onsite at our office located in Boston, MA.

Travel

Less than 10%

Job ID

1654

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Photonic Test Development Engineer to join our Quantum Interconnect Division. As a Senior Photonic Test Development Engineer, 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.

Responsibilities

• Design, upgrade, and expand the testing infrastructure for characterizing classical and quantum integrated photonics devices and components (passive and active) at chip and wafer level scale, utilizing both room-temperature and cryogenic setups.
• Develop and document robust testing procedures for component-level characterization.
• Automate the test pipeline, including instrument setup, data acquisition, and analysis, while maintaining high-quality, scalable, and well-tested characterization flows.
• Collaborate with design, packaging, and system teams to optimize testing features and develop a library of test flows for platform improvement.

Requirements

• 3+ years of professional experience in optical spectroscopy, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Master or Ph.D. in engineering, physics, or a related field/discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with test instrumentation and methods for room-temperature optical test setups
• Strong data processing, visualization, and organizational skills.
• Familiarity with free-space optics and imaging systems.
• Experience working with laser sources and fiber components.
• Programming experience in a general-purpose programming language (like Python, Matlab, etc.) for test automation.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of design and characterization experience of classical integrated photonics devices.
• Hands-on experience with cryogenic optical test setups.
• Hands-on experience with characterizing integrated photonics devices.

The approximate base salary range for this position is $126,887 - $166,127 . The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.

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. permanent resident, and so forth) 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.