Physicist, Resilience Engineering & Operations

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,andAstraZeneca 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:  Oxford, UK

Travel:  Occasional

Job ID:  1847

The Role:

We are looking for a Physicist, System Operations to join our Resilience Engineering & Operations team at IonQ. In this role you will operate, maintain and improve our trapped-ion quantum computers, contributing to the team's mission of keeping our quantum systems running reliably, safely and effectively.

You will take ownership of system maintenance and day to day operational performance, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure our commercial and development systems remain available and well understood. This role sits at the intersection of physics, hardware operations and system reliability, and will help shape how we scale operational excellence across our quantum platforms.

This is an on-site role based in Oxford, working alongside colleagues in Bothell, College Park and Daejeon.

Responsibilities:

You will work on the day to day operation, monitoring, maintenance and optimisation of complex quantum systems, supporting the effective delivery of high-performing commercial and development hardware. You will have the opportunity to improve uptime, strengthen maintenance practices and build a deeper operational understanding of system behaviour through hands-on work, data interpretation and close collaboration with technical teams across the business.

• Participate in follow-the-sun on-call rotations to support uptime and respond to system issues as they arise.
• Take ownership of regular and emergency maintenance activities to keep systems running reliably.
• Build and maintain observability, automation and operational practices that improve system performance and resilience.
• Interpret telemetry and system behaviour to diagnose issues, guide troubleshooting and improve hardware understanding.
• Work collaboratively across teams, time zones and occasionally locations, including coordinating access, communicating status and supporting training where needed.

Requirements:

To be successful you will need a strong experimental background in physics, optical engineering or a related physical science discipline, along with hands-on experience working with complex technical systems in a lab or hardware environment. We are looking for someone who can operate carefully in a fast-moving setting, communicate well across teams, and take practical ownership of keeping systems running.

Preferred Qualifications:

You'd be a great fit with:

• A Bachelor's, Master's or PhD in physics, engineering or another relevant physical science discipline.
• Hands-on experience in atomic, optical or closely related experimental environments, including optical setups, alignment and maintenance of complex hardware systems.
• Strong communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and the ability to work effectively with distributed teams and varied stakeholders.
• Flexibility to work as part of an on-call rotation, with regular on-site presence in Oxford and the ability to travel occasionally if required.
• Experience with telemetry, data analysis, scripting or software tools such as Python or Rust, and ideally exposure to RF, analog, digital or precision control systems.

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.

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