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Senior Manager, AMO Theory

Boulder, Colorado, United States; College Park, Maryland, 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.

 

We’re looking for an enthusiastic, hands-on technical leader to manage our atomic physics (AMO) theory team. You will work in a dynamic, cross-disciplinary environment alongside our world-leading quantum scientists and engineers, leading cutting-edge research to enable our roadmap.

The AMO theory team is responsible for (1) performing detailed, low-level analysis and simulations of ion control methods, making sure we understand the physics before attempting experiments, (2) coming up with creative new ideas to allow us to accelerate our roadmap, and (3) working with experimentalists to understand unexpected issues and help with debugging. It works in close collaboration with the Science and Systems Architecture teams to guide the team towards the most impactful and important problems - and that the solutions we develop are practical and scalable. You will lead a team of AMO theorists, starting with around 5-8 staff distributed around North America and the UK. As a strong technical leader, you will work with deep technical experts on specific topics, defining with them what is important and how to understand completion. You will be responsible for defining priorities and clearly communicating progress with key technical stakeholders across the organisation - including experimental and theoretical physicists, as well as the broader engineering staff. You will also take charge of the team's organisation and professional development.


Responsibilities: 

Technical leadership

  • Lead the AMO theory team and work with other scientific and engineering teams to define the research needed to develop our quantum computers
  • Turn internal conversations with other teams into actionable AMO theory projects
  • Proactively look out for opportunities for the AMO theory team can support internal work
  • Understand conflicting priorities and manage the team to deliver according to company needs and timescales
  • Ensure the excellence of the results produced by the team but understand when sufficient has been done on any given topic to meet requirements.
  • Provide clear updates on issues and progress to all stakeholders
  • Be the first point of call for others in the company to understand the priorities and outputs of the AMO theory team.

Team management

  • Ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the AMO theory team to deliver
  • Ensure that the team maintains the right balance between delivery speed and quality
  • Champion the team culture of scientific rigour, openness and collaboration by driving a suitable balance of company proprietary information and publications
  • Support members of the team
    • Looking out for their well-being
    • Conducting their performance reviews
    • Supporting their career development
  • Work with the senior management team to plan future team growth
  • Work collaboratively with other teams to develop stronger cross-team interfaces and processes


Requirements:

  • Proven ability to lead subject matter experts, setting priorities, giving clear expectations, and ensuring results are suitable for the internal and external stakeholders
  • Deep technical knowledge of atomic physics theory
  • Ability to write, read, and debug scientific simulations
  • Experience leading AMO theory projects
  • Demonstrated success in collaborating with experimental teams


Preferred Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of ion trapping physics
  • Experience managing and growing a team inside a scientific/engineering organisation


Location: This role will work onsite at our office located in Boulder, CO or College Park, MD.  
Travel: Up to 20% (~1x per month to visit different sites)
Job ID:  1317

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. 


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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