Optical Engineer

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, and AstraZeneca 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.

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.  

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.

• →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.

• 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.

• 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.

If you are interested in being a part of our team and mission, we encourage you to apply!