Senior Photonic Test Development Engineer at IonQ (Boston, USA)
Job Description
IonQ is hiring a Senior Photonic Test Development Engineer in Boston to design and build the optical test systems for classical and quantum integrated photonic devices. With optical spectroscopy listed as the core requirement, it suits physicists and engineers from spectroscopy labs who want to move into quantum hardware.
At a glance
- Role: Senior Photonic Test Development Engineer
- Where: on-site at IonQ’s Boston, Massachusetts office
- Pay: US$126,887–166,127 base, plus bonus and equity
- Experience: 3+ years in optical spectroscopy; master’s or PhD in engineering or physics
- Apply: open until filled (re-checked 11 October 2026)
About the photonic test development role
- Design, upgrade and expand test infrastructure for classical and quantum integrated photonic devices, passive and active, at chip and wafer scale, at room temperature and cryogenically
- Develop and document robust procedures for component-level characterisation
- Automate the test pipeline, including instrument setup, data acquisition and analysis, with scalable, well-tested characterisation flows
- Work with design, packaging and system teams to improve test features and build a library of test flows
The role sits in IonQ’s Quantum Interconnect Division, a cross-functional team working on the photonic technology that connects quantum systems. Integrated photonic chips route and control the light those systems depend on, so testing them quickly and accurately, at chip and wafer scale and down to cryogenic temperatures, directly affects how fast the hardware improves.
What IonQ is looking for
- 3+ years of professional experience in optical spectroscopy, or an equivalent mix of education and experience
- A master’s degree or PhD in engineering, physics or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
- Experience with instruments and methods for room-temperature optical test setups
- Familiarity with free-space optics, imaging systems, laser sources and fibre components
- Python, Matlab or similar for test automation, and strong data processing and organisation
Nice to have
- 5+ years designing and characterising integrated photonic devices
- Hands-on cryogenic optical test setups
- Hands-on characterisation of integrated photonic devices
Pay and location
IonQ lists an approximate base salary of US$126,887–166,127 for this on-site Boston role. Total compensation also includes bonus, equity and benefits.
How to apply
Apply through the official IonQ job posting. IonQ’s posting does not give a closing date, so the role is open until filled; ResearchJobs.in will re-check this listing on 11 October 2026. Check the posting for location and work-authorisation details before you apply.
See all our quantum technology jobs, or browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: IonQ
Official advertisement: job-boards.greenhouse.io
How to prepare for this application
- Translate your spectroscopy: explain how your lab skills (alignment, detection, noise control) map onto testing photonic chips.
- Photonics basics: revise waveguides, grating couplers, ring resonators and how each is characterised.
- Documentation: the role stresses documented procedures; bring an example of a test procedure you wrote.
- Automation: show code that controlled lasers, detectors or stages and processed the data.
- Quantum devices: read a little about photonic components used with trapped ions to ask informed questions.
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. (NYSE: IONQ) builds trapped-ion quantum computers and describes itself as a quantum platform company working across computing, networking, sensing and security. It is headquartered in College Park, Maryland, with operations in several US states and in Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada and the United Kingdom.
