Senior Quantum Hardware Engineer - Customer System Installation at IonQ
We’re now scaling beyond our own labs and into customer environments across the globe—and we’re looking for a Quantum Hardware Engineer to be on the front lines of that rollout. This role is a high-impact, high-travel position that blends deep technical expertise in complex hardware with the leadership and problem-solving skills needed to succeed in the field. You’ll take complete, cutting-edge quantum systems and bring them to life in the field: installing and integrating them in customer facilities, then working side-by-side with internal and external teams to ensure they’re rock-solid and ready for production use. If you love complex hardware, thrive in ambiguity, and want a front-row seat to the quantum computing revolution, this is it.
The Quantum Hardware Engineer will support the initial setup of equipment at customer locations and assembly and full installation of customer-grade quantum computers. The ideal candidate has a strong background in manufacturing and is hands-on to their core. You will be the technical leader on the ground, taking a system from transport crates to a fully operational, state-of-the-art quantum computer.
Why This Role Is Exciting:
You are literally installing the future. The systems you build on customer sites are among the most advanced computing devices in the world.
Extreme variety. Every deployment is different—new labs, new facilities, new challenges, and new people to collaborate with.
Massive impact. Your work directly enables customers—governments, enterprises, and research labs—to run real workloads on IonQ hardware.
Career acceleration. You’ll gain a uniquely broad view across IonQ: quantum core, control systems, manufacturing, test, product, and customer operations. That exposure is a powerful platform for long-term growth.
World-class teammates. You’ll work alongside physicists, engineers, and program
Responsibilities:
Partner with other field engineers and scientists to own the full-stack installation of our quantum computing systems at customer data centers, both domestically and internationally. This includes installation and integration of the entire system.
Travel to customer sites for multi-week to multi-month deployments to install and integrate complex subsystems (optics, lasers, vacuum hardware, control electronics, racks, enclosures, networking, and cooling systems) with meticulous attention to detail.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues in the field. You'll be the first to encounter and solve unique challenges that arise during deployment, driving root cause analysis for any failures.
Be the critical link between our in-plant engineering teams and the realities of a field deployment. Capture real-world learnings from customer installations and feed them back into design, manufacturing, and test to make each subsequent deployment faster and smoother.
Execute and refine installation work instructions, checklists, and troubleshooting guides for future deployments and for our manufacturing/field teams.
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to ensure systems leaving IonQ facilities are deployment-ready and reflect the realities of customer sites.
Act as the technical face of IonQ on site—building trust with customer engineers, facilities staff, and leadership teams.
Document all as-built configurations, deviations, and environment-specific considerations for each installation.
Work hands-on with our sophisticated systems, including free-space optics, high-precision lasers, advanced mechanical assemblies, cryogenic systems, and operate lifting equipment for large, heavy structures with an eye for safety.
Facilitate and lead daily deployment standups, coordinate on-site deployment activities, report status, communicate risks and trade-offs, and escalate as needed. ● Develop and maintain tooling bills of materials (BOMs) for customer-facing system deployments.
Maintain tight communication loops with IonQ’s Engineering, Manufacturing, and Program Management teams throughout deployments.
You’d be a good fit with:
An ability to travel (domestically and internationally) up to 3 months at a time during deployments and 25% otherwise.
An ability to be onsite at the Bothell manufacturing facility the remainder of the time.
5+ years' experience as a technical contributor in evolving engineering and manufacturing environments
A Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Science
A love for being on the road. Extended deployments (up to ~3 months on-site) across the US and internationally energize you.
A love for being hands-on at your core. You’re happiest with a tool in your hand, a scope or power meter on the bench, and a complex system in front of you.
Strong Experience in a manufacturing, test, or low-volume integration environment where process discipline, documentation, and quality matter. You understand what it takes to build, test, and ship complex hardware reliably and safely. Factory floors, test labs, and integration cells feel familiar.
A passion for ambiguity. Requirements change, customer facilities have surprises, and not everything is fully written down yet, and you see that as exciting.
A drive for being relentlessly detail-oriented. You know that in quantum hardware, tiny missteps (a swapped cable, a loose fastener, a mislabeled fiber) can have massive impact, and you take pride in getting it right.
An ambitious and self-motivated mindset. You define the work, prioritize ruthlessly, and push programs forward.
A strong, systems-level mindset and demonstrated experience working hands-on with at least two of the following:
Laser/optical systems (alignment, diagnostics, basic stabilization)
Mechanical systems infrastructure, cable and routed systems installations, and cable management and dressing
Vacuum systems and UHV hardware
Precision motion stages or opto-mechanical assemblies
Control electronics, power distribution, and low-noise measurement systems. ● Strong problem-solving and debugging skills; you can methodically isolate issues in complex systems under time pressure.
Comfort reading and interpreting engineering drawings, wiring diagrams, and CAD models.
A strong, customer-focused and one-team mindset, with the ability to proactively communicate with employees at all levels in a fast-paced, developing environment.
You’d be a great fit with:
Familiarity with DFM/DFX, structured RCCA, and continuous improvement in a production or NPI context.
An ability to act independently to uncover and resolve issues associated with the development and implementation of operational programs and factories and/or supplier health development
Experience aligning optical systems (free-space and fiber), verifying laser paths, and ensuring stability under real-world environmental conditions.
Basic familiarity with scripting (Python, etc.) for test automation, data collection, or simple tooling.
Experience working with trapped-ion, cold-atom, photonics, semiconductor, or other advanced R&D/production tools.
Location: This role will work onsite at our office located in Bothell, WA.
Travel: An ability to travel (domestically and internationally) up to 3 months at a time during deployments and 25% otherwise.
Job ID: 1250
The approximate base salary range for this position is $111,407 - $145,861. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.