Staff QA Software Engineer

Capella Space; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

IonQ in Santa Clara, CA is seeking a QA Engineer to own quality for our SaaS-based Quantum Security Posture Management platform. This role focuses on rigorous, product-level testing — functional correctness, regression coverage, and automation — for a platform that models Layer 2/Layer 3 networks and analyzes security posture.

You'll work with developers to catch defects early and ensure reliable releases. The role entails designing test plans for network features, building automated suites,

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software QA/testing experience, preferably SaaS or enterprise infra.
• Deep knowledge of Layer 2/Layer 3 networking concepts.
• Experience with manual and automated testing and defect tracking.
• Ability to write clear bug reports and test documentation.

Responsibilities

• Design, write, and execute detailed test cases and plans for platform features.
• Perform functional, regression, integration, and API testing across releases.
• Validate Layer 2/3 network modeling and security posture representations.
• Build and maintain automated test suites (UI and API).
• Set up and maintain test environments and lab networks.
• Log, triage, and track defects with engineering to verify fixes.
• Participate in sprint planning and release readiness reviews.
• Contribute to test strategy, CI/CD test integration, and documentation.

Skills

QA engineering

SaaS testing

Networking knowledge

API testing

Test design & debugging

Tools

Selenium

Playwright

Postman/Newman

Jira

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 at our Santa Clara, CA office, with the option to work a few days a week remotely.

Travel

Up to 15%, domestic or international.

Job ID

1913

The Role

We're hiring a QA Engineer to own quality for our SaaS-based Quantum Security Posture Management platform. This role is focused on rigorous, product-level testing — functional correctness, regression coverage, and automation — for a platform that models Layer 2/Layer 3 networks and evaluates security posture. You'll work closely with developers to catch defects early and build confidence in every release.

Responsibilities

• Design, write, and execute detailed test cases and test plans for platform features: network discovery, topology mapping, policy/rule analysis, posture scoring, alerting, and reporting.
• Perform functional, regression, integration, and API testing across releases and sprints.
• Validate correctness of Layer 2/Layer 3 network modeling (VLANs, routing, ACLs, NAT, firewall rules) as represented and analyzed by the product.
• Build and maintain automated test suites (UI and API level – Selinium, REST Assured, Pytest) to increase regression coverage and reduce manual testing effort.
• Set up and maintain test environments/labs, including virtual network topologies (e.g., GNS3, EVE-NG, containerlab) and multi-vendor device configs (Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto, Fortinet).
• Log, triage, and track defects; work with engineering to reproduce, root-cause, and verify fixes.
• Participate in sprint planning, story grooming, and release readiness reviews, providing a quality/risk perspective.
• Contribute to test strategy improvements, including shift-left testing practices and CI/CD test integration.
• Maintain clear, thorough test documentation (test cases, coverage matrices, defect reports).

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in software QA/testing, ideally for SaaS or enterprise infrastructure products.
• Working knowledge of Layer 2/Layer 3 networking (VLANs, subnetting, routing protocols, ACLs, NAT, firewall logic).
• Foundational security knowledge — firewall policies, segmentation, common vulnerabilities/misconfigurations.
• Experience with manual and automated testing (e.g., Selenium, Playwright, Postman/Newman) and defect tracking tools (Jira, etc.).
• Comfortable testing REST APIs and validating JSON/data payloads.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to write clear, reproducible bug reports.

Preferred Qualifications

• Scripting experience (Python, Bash) for test automation.
• Experience with virtual network labs (GNS3, EVE-NG) or cloud networking (AWS VPC, Azure VNet).
• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and test integration.
• Certifications such as ISTQB, CCNA, or Security+.

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

$152,000 — $190,000 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. 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.