Ionq

Senior Staff SDN Control Plane Lead - Quantum Networking

Bothell, Washington, United States Full Time

IonQ is developing the world's most powerful full-stack quantum computer based on trapped-ion technology. We are pushing past the limits of classical physics and current supercomputing technology to unlock a new era of computing. Quantum computing has the potential to impact every area of human society for the better. IonQ’s computers will soon redefine industries like medicine, materials science, finance, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cryptography, and more. IonQ is at the forefront of this technological revolution. 

We are looking for a Senior Staff SDN Control Plane Lead. As a technical leader, you will design the "brain" of the quantum network—a centralized controller capable of managing high-fidelity entanglement resources in real-time. 

You will leverage your experience with large-scale network topologies and advanced scheduling to solve unprecedented problems in path-calculation and resource reservation for quantum systems. 

Responsibilities:

  • Lead the design of the centralized software-defined network controller, maintaining a real-time global view of network telemetry, topology and available resources.   
  • Architect the network orchestrator to handle time-dependent entanglement resource requests using advanced scheduling algorithms.   
  • Develop path-calculation logic to consider loss budgets and delays across the quantum network.  
  • Implement conflict prevention to ensure reservations do not collide on the same devices or links.  
  • Engineer the control plane to support automated hardware configuration and state recovery..

You’d be a good fit with: 

  • Minimum 8+ years of experience in network engineering or distributed systems, with significant time spent leading the architecture of SDN controllers or complex resource schedulers. 
  • Minimum of a Master’s in Computer Science, Networking, or a related field.
  • Expertise in designing centralized control planes for high-availability systems with strict performance constraints.
  • Proficiency in C/C++. Go, or Rust for performance-critical processes.

You’d be a great fit with: 

  • Expertise in SDN Control Plane architectures.
  • Deep knowledge of optical network control planes and the management of physical-layer metrics (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio or loss budgets) within a software layer.
  • Experience designing networking or high-performance systems where timing resolution and latency budgets are mission-critical.
  • Proven ability to build global topology managers that handle dynamic resource availability and complex hardware constraints in real-time.

Location: Vista, Bothell

Travel: 10% 

The approximate base salary range for this position is $194,852 - $255,112. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.

Compensation will vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Posted base salary figures are subject to change as new market data becomes available. Beyond base salary, total compensation includes a variable bonus and equity component and a range of benefit options found on our career site at ionq.co/jobs.  Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided when a candidate receives an offer of employment. Our US benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, matching 401K, unlimited PTO and paid holidays, parental/adoption leave, legal insurance, a home internet stipend, and pet insurance! 


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!