Senior Software Network Engineer - Quantum Networking

We are looking for a Senior Software Network Engineer to join our cross-functional team. In this role, you will be the primary architect of the high-level service plane, bridging the gap between quantum hardware and classical infrastructure. 

You will tackle the unique challenge of managing a distributed quantum networking and sensing solution, applying your expertise in high-scale systems to lead IonQ on its journey to build the world’s best quantum networks. 

Responsibilities: 

• Architect, system design, implement, maintain, and operate the high-level service plane for quantum network operations.
• Build and maintain interfaces using industry-standard protocols to integrate various network devices.
• Define and enforce network security best practices including Authentication, Authorization, and Accountability (AAA) and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). 
• Support the implementation of secure communication protocols, such as TLS 1.3 and SSH, across the network control plane.

You'd be a good fit with:

• 5+ years of experience in senior software engineering roles focused on large-scale distributed systems, banking backends, or cloud infrastructure. 
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline. 
• Proficiency in Python and/or Go for orchestration and automation frameworks, and C/C++ or Rust for performance-critical components.
• Proven experience building, deploying, and maintaining Linux/Unix systems, including containerization and secure remote access.
• Demonstrated ability to architect and implement system- and network- management solutions in virtualized and/or containerized environments.
• Strong background designing web APIs, distributed systems, and/or real-time systems with a focus on high availability and reliability.
• A self-starting attitude and experience working cross-functionally to overcome ambiguity

You’d be a great fit with:

• Deep familiarity with Mutual TLS (mTLS) and certificate-based authentication (X.509)
• Experience building experiment-supporting frameworks with automated rollback and configuration recovery.
• Strong background in system-wide audit logging and tamper-evident data structures.
• Strong interest in quantum science and technologies, record of onboarding in technically and scientifically complex domains
• Experience working as or close to SRE/DevOps in a cloud or cloud-like environment

Location: Vista (CA), Bothell (WA), Pleasanton (CA)
Travel: Less than 10%
Job ID:  1269

The approximate base salary range for this position is $128,119 - $167,740.