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Staff Data Engineer

Boulder, Colorado, United States

About IonQ: 

IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum company delivering solutions to solve the world’s most complex problems. IonQ’s newest generation quantum computers, IonQ Tempo and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are the latest in cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners such as Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results. The company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance in 2025.

The company is accelerating its technology roadmap and intends to deliver the world’s most powerful quantum computers with 2 million qubits by 2030 to accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. IonQ’s advancements in quantum networking position the company as a leader in building the quantum internet.

 

Quantum computers generate huge amounts of data that we can use to make quantum computers even better. We are seeking an enthusiastic Staff Data Engineer who is passionate about data engineering and machine learning. You will help build high-quality, scalable, and resilient distributed systems that power our data pipelines. You’ll be responsible for leading the development of key components of our data platform while collaborating with experimental and theoretical physics teams. Help us use data to build the world’s best quantum computers!

The ideal candidate will have experience leading or contributing to multiple simultaneous product development efforts, projects, and initiatives. You’ll be able to balance technical expertise and savvy with strong business judgment to make great technology choices. You’ll strive for simplicity and demonstrate significant creativity and incisive judgment.

Responsibilities:

  • Design, architect, develop, test, deploy, and maintain our data pipelines and warehousing
  • Ensure the quality of our systems through design and code reviews 
  • Collaborate with an experienced interdisciplinary staff
  • Identify and drive opportunities for us to continuously improve how we do things
  • Approach problems pragmatically
  • Assist in the career development of others, providing mentorship on advanced technical issues


You’d be a good fit with:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, or equivalent practical experience -- non-traditional backgrounds are welcome here as well
  • 8+ years experience with software development in Python
  • 8+ years experience with SQL and NoSQL databases
  • A love of collaborating across teams in an interdisciplinary environment
  • Experience designing data models and data warehouses 
  • Experience with data processing using traditional and distributed systems
  • Experience writing and maintaining ETLs which operate on a variety of structured and unstructured sources
  • Experience with Unix or Linux systems
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills


You’d be a great fit with:

  • Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, or Statistics, or related scientific field
  • Significant experience with technologies such as:
    • Kubernetes, Postgres, Airflow, Grafana, Apache Iceberg, Apache Superset, Trino/PrestoDB, DBT, Terraform, Segment, InfluxDB, and OpenTelemetry
  • Experience with Data Governance, specifically covering data catalogs and data quality
  • Experience with deep learning platforms like Keras, Tensor-flow and/or PyTorch

Location: This role is a hybrid position based in Boulder, CO.  
Job ID: IONQ-342

The approximate base salary range for this position is $162,920 - $213,304.

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. 


IonQ's HQ is located in College Park, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC. We are actively building out our recently opened manufacturing and production facility in Bothell, WA (near Seattle). Depending on the position, you may be required to be near one of our offices in College Park, Seattle, Toronto, Canada, and Basel, Switzerland. However, IonQ will expand into additional domestic and international geographies, so don’t let this stop you from applying!
 
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!


 

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The position you have applied for may require access to technology that is subject to U.S. export control restrictions. Employment with IonQ is contingent on either verifying U.S. person status or obtaining any necessary license/confirming the availability of a license exception under U.S. export controls. Accordingly, you will be asked some additional questions regarding your immigration status that will be used for export control purposes, and the answers will be reviewed by compliance personnel to ensure compliance with federal law. 

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IonQ, Inc. (“IonQ”) conducts pre-employment background and risk screening checks in order to (i) comply with legal, regulatory, contractual, and security obligations; (ii) meet requirements imposed by governmental or law enforcement agencies; (iii) assess a candidate’s suitability, integrity, and risk profile for employment and access to sensitive information or projects and (iv) protect IonQ, its clients and partners.

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