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,
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
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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 Skyloom
Skyloom, an IonQ company, is a telecommunications company founded with the
mission to develop, deploy, and operate one of the fundamental pieces of
tomorrow's space communication infrastructure to provide data transport services
on a planetary scale. If you have a strong sense of purpose, focus, urgency, and
willingness to compete, or if working on space lasers excites you, join our team
to develop the future generation of space communication technology.
Skyloom is building the orbital infrastructure for the next renaissance in
global connectivity. As Earth’s first space-based telecommunications company, we
deliver fiberless, planetary-scale data transport that dramatically increases
bandwidth, availability, and resiliency—while reducing latency and total cost of
operations.
Our proprietary optical technology enables secure, ultra-high-capacity
connections across our end-to-end, multi-orbit network or within your own
infrastructure, unlocking a new standard for global communications.
Location: This role will be onsite in our Broomfield, Colorado office.
Travel: Up to 5%
Job ID: 1706
The Role
The Optical Designer and Analyst will be responsible for designing, analyzing,
and optimizing optical systems for space-based communication technologies. This
role requires hands-on experience with optical design software, a strong
background in optics, and the ability to collaborate across disciplines to
deliver optical designs that are both innovative and capable of cost-effective
mass production.
Responsibilities
* Lead the full lifecycle of optical systems, including conceptualization,
simulation, detailed design, and prototyping. Focus areas include free-space
optical communication systems and high-speed laser applications.
* Conduct in-depth analysis using optical design software to optimize system
performance, focusing on aspects such as manufacturing and alignment
tolerances, wavefront error, radiometric analysis, free-space far-field
propagation and fiber coupling efficiency.
* Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, software and control engineering
teams to ensure seamless integration of optical subsystems into spacecraft or
ground-based platforms.
* Develop and implement optomechanical design and analysis strategies to
validate design requirements, including Structural-Thermal-Optical
Performance analysis to ensure robustness for space environments.
* Write and maintain technical documentation on designs, analyses, and test
procedures. Mentor and transfer knowledge to other team members and
cross-functional peers.
Qualifications
* Bachelor’s degree or higher in Optics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical
Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Physics, or a related technical
field.
* Proven experience in optical system design, particularly for space-based or
high-precision optical instruments.
* Extensive experience with optical design software (e.g., ZEMAX) and
mechanical design tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Siemens NX).
* To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including
the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Skyloom employees must
be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card
holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum,
or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department
of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more
about ITAR here
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Preferred Qualifications
* Experience with optical design in the context of space-flight systems or
astronomy is highly desirable.
- Experience working in a cleanroom environment (ISO 5 to ISO 8).
- Spanish speaking is a plus.
Compensation
The approximate base salary range for this position is $116,736 - $152,250. The
total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit
options found on our career site.
**Benefits will be provided by Skyloom, Inc., an IonQ Company, and will differ
from the benefits listed on the IonQ website.**
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!
