Staff Scientist - Materials Science

Staff Scientist - Materials Science

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 are looking for a Staff Scientist, Materials Science to join the Computational Sciences team s is a newly formed group within Applications R&D, focused on general physics problems in condensed matter and high energy physics alongside combinatorial optimization. You will bring dedicated condensed matter and high energy physics capability into the team, working on problems that today are delivered through a borrowed virtual team drawn from across the organization.

The work sits at the meeting point of traditional classical simulation and fault-tolerant quantum computing. We are not looking for someone who believes quantum computers will simply replace classical high performance computing. We are looking for a scientist who understands both, and who can judge where each approach earns its place. You will work independently against goals rather than under close direction, and you will help shape how IonQ tackles real scientific problems as the company moves towards fault-tolerant applications.

Responsibilities:

• Lead condensed matter and high energy physics application projects, working independently against agreed goals.
• Connect physics problems to quantum computation, selecting appropriate fault-tolerant algorithms and mapping problems onto quantum-native formulations.
• Combine classical simulation and HPC workloads with quantum methods in integrated end-to-end workflows.
• Compare computed results against experimental data, including neutron scattering observables such as dynamical structure factors and spectral functions.
• Collaborate with the fault-tolerant algorithms, quantum chemistry and software engineering teams, and contribute to publications and external technical representation.

Requirements:

• A doctorate in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science or a related field, with postdoctoral or industry experience. This is not a role for a recent PhD graduate; you must be able to carry research forward independently.
• Deep expertise in condensed matter or high energy physics: magnetic systems, strongly correlated materials, superconductivity, spin dynamics, Fermi-Hubbard models, lattice gauge theory or related areas.
• Experience with classical simulation methods and HPC workloads for these problems, ideally including packages such as QuantumATK, Quantum Espresso or VASP, and an understanding of how to integrate classical and quantum approaches.
• Familiarity with fault-tolerant quantum algorithms and their applications. You should be able to explain what methods such as quantum phase estimation or quantum singular value transformation do and where they apply.
• Scientific programming in Python and C++ sufficient to integrate tools, run computations and maintain a code base in version control.

The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.

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…