Staff Electrical Engineer- Testing

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, helps 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. Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, IonQ has operations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

This role is based onsite at our office in Pleasanton, CA. Travel may be up to 10%, domestic or international.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced test engineer to collaborate with our diverse group of physicists, electrical, mechanical, and optical engineers. In this critical role, you'll be part of the leadership team defining the direction of our hardware test strategy. The right candidate will be comfortable not only with defining procedures but also with executing them, working effectively in the lab, and assisting with debugging challenging board-level issues with custom electronics. You must lead by example and actively engage early-career engineers as a mentor.

Responsibilities

• Be a team leader for a growing group tasked with testing and debugging complex electronic circuits, including FPGAs, MCUs, mixed-signal, precision analog, and photonics devices.
• Collaborate with physicists, electrical, mechanical, software, and optical engineers to develop test procedures for next-generation quantum instruments.
• Work with engineering and manufacturing to define DFT (Design for Test) and DFM (Design for Manufacturing) improvements.
• Create test plans for environmental, EMI, and EMC testing; oversee and manage execution at external facilities, adjusting protocols as needed.
• Use electronic test and measurement equipment to characterize and verify performance.
• Define equipment and software to create automated data systems for production.
• Take ownership of data storage and management systems to ensure valuable test data is retained and properly documented.

Requirements

• BSEE/MSEE Degree combined with leadership experience testing precision instruments and/or sensors.
• Comfortable working in a laboratory environment.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to create new test plans and procedures for novel instrumentation.
• Experience devising testing protocols for precision instruments, including specifying equipment, writing automation scripts, and documenting procedures.
• Proficiency in post-test data analysis to extract performance metrics.
• Experience designing test loads, cabling, and custom equipment to support verification work.
• Able to read schematics, data sheets, and technical information to define expected measurement ranges.
• Proficiency with laboratory test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, VNA, SA, power supplies, function generators, and DVM.
• Must be a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent resident (green card holder), refugee, or asylee to comply with U.S. export control laws.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using PCB Layout tools, particularly Altium.
• Able to write test firmware for embedded MCUs to support testing of MCU-based PCBs.
• Background with AS9100 compliance is a plus.
• Experience with environmental testing for space electronics, including radiation effects, is a plus.

Pay

$163,431—$234,350 USD. Compensation will vary based on individual factors such as education, qualifications, experience, specific office location, and calibration against relevant market data and internal team equity.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Matching 401(k).
• Unlimited PTO and paid holidays.
• Parental/adoption leave.
• Legal insurance.
• Home technology stipend.