Senior Staff Quantum Physicist

Physics World; Albuquerque (NM); Hybrid; USD 188,000 - 282,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental

Vision plans

401(k) matching

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Legal insurance

Home tech stipend

Job summary

IonQ is seeking a Senior Staff Quantum Scientist to drive experimental efforts and architect the next generation of quantum systems. You will lead coherent control, calibration, and benchmarking at scale for trapped-ion qubits, leveraging laser-free quantum control methods.

You will work hands-on with state-of-the-art hardware, design experiments, mentor junior scientists, and help steer technology directions for scalable, fault-tolerant quantum processors.

Qualifications

• PhD in physics or closely related discipline or equivalent experience.
• At least seven years post-PhD experience and ability to lead projects.
• Experience in quantum control, calibration, or coherent control of qubits.

Responsibilities

• Lead prototyping and characterisation of advanced coherent control schemes for trapped-ion qubits.
• Drive system-level benchmarking and optimisation for world-leading performance.
• Validate and integrate new trap technologies to support scaling toward fault-tolerant architectures.
• Mentor junior scientists and shape technical direction.
• Represent IonQ at conferences and external collaborations.

Skills

AMO physics

Quantum computing

Trapped-ion

Programming

Data analysis

Collaboration

Publications

Leadership

Education

PhD in physics or related field

Tools

Control software

Hardware integration

Experiment analysis tools

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

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

This role is based at our Boulder, CO or Albuquerque, NM with the option to work a few days a week remotely.

Travel

Up to 5%

Job ID

1970

Role

We are looking for a Senior Staff Quantum Scientist to join our Science team at IonQ. In this role, you will take a leading role in our research efforts, driving experimental efforts and the architecture of our future generation quantum systems.

We are pioneering advancements in quantum computing by utilizing trapped ion technology and our proprietary laser-free quantum control methods. Our research and development efforts build on our fully integrated quantum processors that can be fabricated within standard silicon foundries. This unique approach allows us to leverage the highest-performing qubit technology while ensuring scalability and manufacturability using existing semiconductor fabrication technology.

We approach quantum computing with a focus on minimizing errors, striving to achieve ultra-low gate errors at scale. Our immediate objective is to develop functional quantum computers within the NISQ regime, aiming to construct fault-tolerant machines that require minimal QEC overhead. Our recent breakthroughs include achieving 99.97% fidelity in two-qubit gates and 99.9992% fidelity in single-qubit operations without error correction, setting new industry standards for performance.

Responsibilities

As a Senior Staff Quantum Physicist you will be at the forefront of our research and development, taking a leading role within our experimental science team. You will be responsible for driving innovation in coherent control, calibration, and benchmarking at scale, with a particular focus on enabling ultra-low error rates and system reliability across larger trapped-ion devices.

You will work hands-on with our current hardware, with work spanning design, debugging, and executing experiments, developing novel control schemes, and pushing the boundaries of system performance.

Beyond hands-on experiments, you will help shape technical direction, mentor junior scientists, and ensure our work translates into scalable, fault-tolerant systems.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Lead the prototyping and characterisation of advanced coherent control schemes for trapped-ion qubits using laser and microwave fields.
• Drive system-level benchmarking and optimisation, ensuring near-term devices achieve world-leading performance and stability.
• Validate and integrate new trap technologies (e.g. on-chip electronics or photonics) to support scaling towards error-corrected architectures.
• Guide junior scientists in experimental design, analysis, and presentation of results.
• Represent IonQ at conferences and external collaborations.

Requirements

To be successful, you will need a strong foundation in atomic or qubit-related physics, developed through a PhD in physics or a closely related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and practical experience. We are looking for at least seven years of post-PhD experience in academia or industry, or equivalent relevant research experience, with the ability to lead projects, work autonomously and guide junior scientists.

Proven experience in quantum control, with hands-on work in calibration, benchmarking or coherent control of qubits, will be key to success. Practical skills in control software, hardware integration or experimental data analysis are also important.

• Deep experience in AMO physics or quantum computing. Trapped-ion experience is useful but is not required.
• Experience in spectroscopy or simulation of multilevel systems, control hardware characterisation, gate fidelity benchmarking or running algorithms on hardware.
• Strong proficiency in programming and data analysis.
• A track record of collaboration across teams and clear communication of complex scientific results through publications, talks or conferences.

You'd Be a Great Fit With

• This work connects experimental physics with control hardware, software and data analysis. Experience linking these areas will help you investigate system performance and develop coherent control schemes for trapped-ion devices.
• Technical leadership also means helping colleagues design experiments and communicate their results. Your experience of collaboration, mentoring and sharing scientific findings will support that part of the role.

The total compensation package includes base salary, bonus, equity, and a range of benefits available on our career site. If this role has a commission structure, the compensation range below just reflects the base compensation range.

Wage Transparency

$188,000 - $282,000 USD

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.

• comprehensive medical
• dental
• vision plans
• matching 401(k)
• unlimited PTO and paid holidays
• parental/adoption leave
• legal insurance
• 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.