Senior Field Engineer - US Federal
IonQindustry
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.
We are looking for a Senior Quantum Field Engineer for our US Federal business. As a Senior Quantum Field Engineer, you’ll be part of a team whose mission is to lead IonQ on its journey to build the world’s best quantum solutions and solve the world’s most complex problems. Field Engineering sits at the intersection of customers, markets, products and product teams, algorithms, applications, innovation and strategy - this is the team where ideas become applied and have impact.
Join a nimble team of scientists, engineers, salespeople, marketers, business developers, and product managers to drive an entirely new quantum computing business. We’re seeking versatile engineers and architects skilled in technical sales, technical demos and customer interactions who feel energized to deliver IonQ’s quantum computing products and quantum applications.
Responsibilities:
- Inspire and co-engineer solutions with the US Intel Agencies by explaining IonQ’s strategy, portfolio and answering technical questions about quantum portfolio (compute, network, security, sensing and space) and quantum applications.
- Lead and shepherd client discussions, inspiring them to see how quantum applications can be implemented in their business domain.
- This includes working through business needs and mapping Quantum Algorithms (financial services, bioscience, chemistry and materials, optimization, generative AI, and other domains) into application code and executing Proof-of-Concepts together with the IonQ Application team.
- Share insights from clients with the IonQ Product Management and Engineering teams such that client feedback is incorporated into our products.
- Navigate competitive objection handling
- Translate business needs expressed by our clients into technical work projects in collaboration with other team members.
- Create assets to explain features of our quantum applications and other IonQ quantum products.
- Move dialogs from initial ideation to focused exploration domain through to proof-of-concept and ultimately into production workflows.
- Lead client discovery sessions for business-oriented use cases that uncover potential overlap with development of useful quantum algorithms together with the IonQ Application team
- Partner with marketing, developer relations and business development to grow awareness of IonQ in the world at large.
- Attend industry conferences, as needed, to talk to client and support our booth activities.
- This is a technical customer-facing role with the appropriate balance of compensation acceleration for success and a base salary to ensure that credibility and technical correctness always comes first.
You’d be a good fit with:
- 10+ years of experience in technical customer-facing role or equivalent capacity. The ability to communicate (at the various context-appropriate levels of depth) and persuade clearly, have strong EQ, and other customer-facing skills are critical.
- US Citizen, with Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance required, with a full scope polygraph preferred
- 5 years of focused experience with technology companies that support US Intel Agencies
- Bachelor’s degree or above in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, or other STEM field, such as Chemistry, Physics or Engineering
- Motivated learner with a strong interest in quantum computing.
- Mission oriented person - driven to help the US Federal Government Intel agencies
You’d be a great fit with:
- Masters or PhD in a STEM field, perhaps adjacent to quantum computing.
- Time on the customer side in various verticals included leadership roles - this provides customer empathy
- Hands-on experience with Qiskit, Cirq or other quantum computing SDK.
- Proficient in Python and Jupyter Notebooks.
- Expert architecture skills across various technologies (“full stack skills”)
- Experience leading technical events.
Location: This position can work onsite or hybrid from one of our offices (College Park, MD, Bothell, WA) or fully remote in the US or Canada.
Travel: Some travel expected in the US (20%) but opportunities for global travel are available as well for client meeting and IonQ conference activities.
Job ID: 1311
The approximate base salary range for this position is $192,979 - $252,659. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.
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 401K, 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.
If you are interested in being a part of our team and mission, we encourage you to apply!