Senior Staff Scientist – Fault-Tolerant Quantum Algorithms

We are looking for a Senior Staff Scientist – Fault-Tolerant Quantum Algorithms to help lead the technical development of highly differentiated quantum solutions that will bring value to society. As a Senior Staff Scientist – Fault-Tolerant Quantum Algorithms, you’ll guide a cross-functional team whose mandate is central to IonQ’s mission to solve the world’s most complex problems using the world’s best quantum computers.

As a technical leader in the field of fault-tolerant algorithms, you will help discover the next generation of quantum applications that will exceed state-of-the-art classical methods. You will be a core member of technical leadership in quantum algorithms, and you will drive research into new quantum algorithms and develop IP, computational resource models, long-term roadmaps, and end-to-end workflows that have the potential to disrupt the field of computing. You will also work closely with product, engineering, marketing, sales, operations, and external customers/partners to brainstorm new ideas, propose complex, multi-year initiatives and represent IonQ at high-visibility technical conferences (often all in a single day)!

Responsibilities: 

• Influence the quantum applications roadmap towards fault-tolerant quantum algorithms that will make a large scientific and commercial impact by leading the origination, execution, and optimization of novel, end-to-end quantum algorithms. Guide other team members towards this goal.
• Perform detailed resource analyses of quantum algorithms and perform SWOT analysis of FTQC approaches compared to NISQ and/or classical methods.
• Provide trusted expertise and leadership in FTQC algorithms and communicate the current state-of-the-art, scaling behaviors, trade offs, cross-over points, etc. to stakeholders across the company.
• Lead technical interactions across multi-disciplinary teams to identify, define and solve challenging real-world problems using IonQ trapped-ion quantum computers.
• Define, develop, and drive adoption of industry-leading benchmarking and resource estimation methodologies, metrics, and tools.
• Develop portfolio of foundational IP and high-impact-factor peer-reviewed publications; represent IonQ externally with customer/clients and at conferences.

You’d be a good fit with:

• PhD in physics, mathematics, computer science, or similar field, or comparable field or equivalent work experience + 5 years of professional experience in the quantum computing field
• 13+ years of professional experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Demonstrated expertise in FTQC algorithms that can scale to millions of qubits, billions of gates with line-of-sight to end-customer value: active portfolio of invited talks, repos, licenses, publications and/or patents.
• Active participant in the FTQC algorithm community via, e.g., development of tools (libraries, simulators, compiler), metrics (costing, resource estimation, ROI), and/or community (economic development, standards)
• Relentless dedication to optimizing algorithmic performance (accuracy, time-to-solution) through elegant theoretical equations, as well as engineering optimization
• Mastery of key mathematical techniques used in quantum computing and quantum algorithm development, and a demonstrated ability to communicate scientific results clearly.