Staff Scientist – Quantum Defense Applications

IonQ; United States; Remote; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k) matching

Unlimited PTO

Parental/adoption leave

Home technology stipend

Job summary

IonQ, Inc. seeks two Staff Scientists – Quantum Applications (Defense) to join a new Customer Solutions team. You will develop and deliver defense-oriented quantum applications using trapped‑ion quantum computers, partnering with clients to solve complex problems.

You will originate and deliver new quantum applications, serving as a go‑to expert for a wide range of stakeholders across academia, enterprise, government and national labs. US persons only.

Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, CS, Mathematics or related STEM field with 4+ years of experience developing quantum applications for defense use cases.
• Strong peer‑reviewed publication record; open-source or production‑grade code experience is a plus.
• Experience leading Federal, DefenseTech and industrial R&D engagements.
• Mastery of Python; Qiskit or similar quantum SDK; working knowledge of C++.
• Proven customer‑facing and collaboration skills; US person status for export controls.

Responsibilities

• Develop impactful hybrid quantum applications for defense missions using IonQ trapped‑ion quantum computers.
• Lead integration of quantum algorithms into workflows and translate problems into quantum code.
• Evolve algorithms with the IonQ hardware roadmap from NISQ to FTQC.
• Benchmark quantum algorithms against SOTA methods and communicate results to customers.
• Create foundational IP and publish in peer‑reviewed venues; represent IonQ externally.

Skills

Python

Qiskit

C++

Quantum algorithms

DefenseTech engagements

Education

Doctorate in Physics/CS/Math

Job description

IonQ, Inc. seeks two Staff Scientists – Quantum Applications (Defense) to join a new Customer Solutions team. You will develop and deliver defense-oriented quantum applications using trapped‑ion quantum computers, partnering with clients to solve complex problems.

You will originate and deliver new quantum applications, serving as a go‑to expert for a wide range of stakeholders across academia, enterprise, government and national labs. US persons only.