Staff Electrical Engineer- Testing

Socket.dev; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 234,000; Full time

Job summary

IonQ, Inc. in Pleasanton, CA is seeking an experienced test engineer to lead a diverse hardware test team. You will collaborate with physicists and engineers to develop procedures for next-generation quantum instruments and improve verification methodologies.

You will define and execute environmental, EMI/EMC tests, analyze post-test data, and help build automated data systems for production. Strong leadership and lab experience are essential.

Qualifications

• BSEE/MSEE degree with leadership experience testing precision instruments or sensors.
• Ability to work in a laboratory environment and communicate clearly.
• Ability to organize test results and document data storage procedures.
• Experience writing automated test procedures and documenting them for the team.

Responsibilities

• Be a team leader for testing and debugging complex electronic circuits including FPGAs, MCUs, mixed-signal, and photonics devices.
• Develop test procedures with cross-functional engineers to verify designs for quantum instruments.
• Collaborate to define DFT and DFM improvements and optimize test protocols.
• Create test plans for environmental, EMI and EMC testing and manage external facility execution.
• Use test equipment to characterize performance and develop automated data systems.
• Mentor early-career engineers and lead by example in the lab.

Skills

Leadership

Lab testing

Communication

Data analysis

Test planning

Education

BSEE/MSEE degree

Tools

Oscilloscopes

VNA

Spectrum Analyzer

Power supplies

Function generators

DVM

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.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 onsite at our office in Pleasanton, CA. Travel: Up to 10%, domestic or international. Job ID: 1780

The Role:

We are seeking an experienced test engineer to collaborate with our diverse group of physicists, electrical, mechanical, and optical engineers. Vector Atomics has the opportunity to disrupt industries with world-beating sensor performance. Success requires rapid development of specialized, cutting-edge electronics. To support the development effort, an equally challenging effort is required to rapidly improve our verification procedures and approaches.

In this critical role, you'll be part of the leadership team defining the direction of our hardware test strategy. The right candidate will be comfortable not only with defining procedures but also with executing them. They should be able to work effectively in the lab and assist with debugging challenging board-level issues with custom electronics. They must lead by example and actively engage early-career engineers as mentors.

Responsibilities:

• Be a team leader for a growing group that is tasked with both testing and debugging complex electronic circuits. The circuits include a complex mix of FPGAs, MCUs, mixed-signal, precision analog and photonics devices.
• Collaborate with physicists, electrical, mechanical, software, and optical engineers to develop test procedures to verify electronic designs for next-generation quantum instruments.
• Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing to define DFT and DFM improvements.
• Create test plans for environmental, EMI and EMC testing. Oversee and manage execution of these plans at external facilities, when necessary. They must be able to adjust test protocols as needed to optimize results.
• Use electronic test and measurement equipment to characterize and verify performance.
• Define equipment and software to create automated data systems for production systems.

Requirements:

• BSEE/MSEE Degree combined with leadership experience testing precision instruments and/or sensors.
• Must be comfortable working in a laboratory environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers and collaborators, both written and verbal. Able to create new test plans and procedures for novel instrumentation.
• Organize and manage test results. Take ownership of data storage and management systems to ensure valuable test data is retained and properly documented
• Experience with devising testing protocols for precision instruments. Including specifying appropriate equipment, writing programs/scripts to automate testing, and finally documenting procedures for the team to use.
• Must be proficient in post-test data analysis to extract required performance metrics.
• Experience designing test loads, cabling, and custom equipment to support verification work
• Able to read schematics, data sheets, and technical information to define expected measurement ranges.
• Proficiency with laboratory test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, VNA, SA, power supplies, function generators, and DVM.
• To comply with the US export control laws, Vector Atomic employees must be U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e. green card holders), and certain categories of refugees, and asylees.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience using PCB Layout tools, particularly Altium
• Able to write test firmware for embedded MCUs to support testing of MCU-based PCBs.
• A background with AS9100compliance would be a plus
• Experience with environmental testing for space electronics, including radiation effects, is a plus.

The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.

If this role has a commission structure, the compensation range below just reflects the base compensation range.

Wage Transparency:

$163,431 — $234,350 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. 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.