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.
About Vector Atomic:
Vector Atomic, an IonQ company, is building quantum technology to transform navigation, timing, geophysical exploration, and telecommunications. Our team of engineers, scientists, software developers, and operations professionals works together to solve complex challenges and turn bold ideas into real-world solutions. We value collaboration, curiosity, and diverse perspectives, and we give every team member the opportunity to make an immediate impact while growing their skills. If you’re excited to work on breakthrough technology in a fast-paced, hands-on environment, we’d love to hear from you.
Location: This role is based onsite at our office in Pleasanton, CA.
Travel: Up to 5%, domestic or international.
Job ID: 1687
The Role:
Vector Atomic is building next-generation quantum devices designed for real-world applications, including GPS-free navigation, high-precision timing, geophysical exploration, and telecommunications. As a Senior Rust Software Engineer, you will serve as a technical leader within a rapidly growing, collaborative team of over 50 professionals delivering practical, transformational quantum technologies. In this high-impact role, you will architect and write production-quality Rust code, driving the software strategy for our advanced quantum instruments. You will collaborate deeply across disciplines with physicists, electronics engineers, and firmware engineers, taking ownership of system controllers, data acquisition pipelines, and critical control algorithms on ARM SoCs from concept to deployment.
Responsibilities:
- Technical Leadership & Architecture: Lead the design and development of reliable, high-performance, production-quality software architectures in Rust.
- System Control & Drivers: Architect and verify system controllers on ARM SoCs, designing robust user-space drivers for complex peripherals (including mixed-signal devices) and low-latency data acquisition pipelines.
- Advanced Algorithm Implementation: Implement and optimize critical control loops and precision algorithms essential to the stability and operation of quantum sensing instruments.
- Hardware Integration & Bring-up: Partner closely with hardware teams to lead board testing, hardware bring-up, and the implementation of fault-tolerant error-handling systems.
- Quantum Software Infrastructure: Oversee the development and scaling of core software libraries used for the control and automation of next-generation quantum systems.
- Mentorship & Process Improvement: Champion continuous improvement within the development process—leading technical code reviews, project retrospectives, and mentoring junior engineers.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, with 6+ years of professional software engineering experience (with a proven track record in embedded or hardware-adjacent environments).
- To comply with the US export control laws, Vector Atomic employees must be U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e. green card holders), and certain categories of refugees, and asylees.
- Must be fully comfortable working hands-on in a laboratory environment alongside physical hardware and complex test setups.
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to bridge technical gaps between hardware engineers, software teams, and physicists.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Extensive background coding in C/C++ or utilizing Python and its scientific libraries for data analysis and modeling.
- Deep expertise in designing, modeling, and coding advanced control algorithms (such as PID loops) and fixed-point digital filters.
- Advanced experience interfacing with external hardware devices through protocols like TCP/UDP, UART, SPI, and I2C.
- Comprehensive background working with SoC/FPGA architectures and developing specialized Linux device drivers.
- Highly proficient in using standard test and measurement equipment—including oscilloscopes, function generators, and voltmeters—to benchmark, validate, and debug software performance.
**Benefits will be provided by Vector Atomic, an IonQ Company, and will differ from the benefits listed on the IonQ website.**
Benefits:
Vector Atomic values teamwork, open and honest discourse, and work-life balance. We offer competitive compensation and benefits including:
- Platinum-level family health coverage (medical, dental, vision)
- Health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- Employer 401(k) contributions
- 20 days of paid time off & 11 paid holidays
- Paid parental leave
- Fully stocked kitchen
The approximate base salary range for this position is $142,113 - $186,063 per year. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity and benefits. It's atypical to be hired at the top end of this range for the role, as actual pay is based on several factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience
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!
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
- 6+ years professional software engineering experience, with embedded or hardware-adjacent environments
- U.S. Person status (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident/green card holder, certain refugees or asylees) for export control compliance
- Production-quality Rust development experience and ability to architect reliable, high-performance software
- Comfortable working hands-on in a laboratory environment with physical hardware and complex test setups
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills to bridge hardware engineers, software teams, and physicists
- Experience designing and verifying system controllers on ARM SoCs and developing user-space drivers for complex peripherals
IonQ Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about IonQ and has not been reviewed or approved by IonQ.
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Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage is described alongside HSA/FSA options, disability and life insurance, and mental health support. Inclusive elements such as transgender health benefits are also part of the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid maternity, paternity, and bonding leave is described as fully paid for eligible employees. Additional leave types such as bereavement leave are also included in time-off provisions.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) plan with company matching up to 5% is included as part of the core package. Vesting is noted as applying over time, indicating the match is structured as a longer-term retention benefit.
IonQ Insights
What We Do
Quantum computers are a revolutionizing technology — they have the potential to transform business, society, and the planet for the better, and IonQ is at the forefront of this revolution. After over 25 years of academic research, IonQ was founded in 2015 by Chris Monroe and Jungsang Kim with $2 million in seed funding from New Enterprise Associates, a license to core technology from the University of Maryland and Duke University, and the goal of taking trapped ion quantum computing out of the lab and into the market. In the following three years, we raised an additional $20 million from GV, Amazon Web Services, and NEA, and built two of the world’s most accurate quantum computers. In 2019, we raised another $55 million in a round led by Samsung and Mubadala, and announced partnerships with Microsoft and Amazon Web Services to make our quantum computers available via the cloud. In 2020 and 2021, we built additional generations of high performance quantum hardware, added Google Cloud Marketplace to our cloud partner roster and announced a series of collaborations and business partnerships with leading academic and commercial institutions. On October 1st, 2021, IonQ began trading as IONQ on the New York Stock Exchange, making it the world's first public pure-play quantum computing company. We remain hard at work realizing the world-changing potential of quantum computing.
Why Work With Us
We’re growing a passionate, diverse team of collaborative, creative people. We believe in pursuing innovative, challenging work with integrity, alongside team members we can learn from and grow with.
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