Physicist - Resilience Engineering and Operations

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.  

We’re looking for a Physicist - Resilience Engineering and Operations for our state-of-the-art quantum computers that are based on trapped ion technology. You’ll be part of a cross-functional team whose mission is to operate and improve IonQ’s industry-leading quantum computers. In the first three months on the job, you’d be learning how to maintain our quantum computers’ hardware and software. Recent graduates in physics and related fields are encouraged to apply; we will train you in quantum computer maintenance and operation! You will work onsite at our facility at Quantum Basel with the option to work remotely several days a week at your discretion.

• →Ensure high uptime and performance of our commercial quantum computers, through maintenance, monitoring, and engineering of state-of-the-art quantum computers
• →Ensure a great customer experience that you’ll always be improving
• →Automate capabilities to optimize system performance
• →Work collaboratively with physicists and engineers to build tools and technologies that improve the performance of present and future commercial systems
• →Participate in follow-the-sun on-call rotations to keep our systems running at peak performance

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in physics, engineering, or another physical science
• Desire and capability to work closely on a team that is distributed - excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset
• Hands-on experience with optical alignments, laser stabilization, and/or AOMs
• A propensity for learning new things and fascination with emerging technologies
• Formal training or education in statistics
• Capable of adapting for an ever-growing and ever-changing work environment
• Disposition to work flexible working hours, on a 24/7 on-call shift where to rotation changes as needed
• 1+ year of laboratory experience in atomic and/or optical physics
  
  

• PhD in physics, engineering, or another physical science
• Deep experience with Javascript or Python
• A background in data analysis, data science, or machine learning
• Software Engineering experience

We encourage you to apply if you think you’d be great at this role!

If you are interested in being a part of our team and mission, we encourage you to apply!