Director, Optical and Laser Systems

We are looking for a Director of Optical and Laser Systems to lead our optical, opto-mechanical, and laser system development efforts.  As the Director of Optical and Laser Systems, you will lead a team of engineers, technicians, designers, and scientists whose mission is to lead IonQ on its journey to build the world’s best quantum computers to solve the world’s most complex problems. 

In this role you will be responsible for the engineering development of the optical, opto-mechanical, and laser systems and subsystems for our quantum computers. You will own the strategic planning, direction, and day-to-day execution of our optical and opto-mechanical engineering efforts. You will collaborate with a highly interdisciplinary team of atomic physicists, mechanical, electrical engineers, cryosystem engineers, thermal engineers, systems engineers, and program managers to influence, design, and build our upcoming products. You will contribute across the entire product lifecycle from conceptual design through first engineering units. Your team will develop requirements, perform trade studies, design, build prototypes, and shape the next generation hardware for our quantum computers. This role reports into the VP of Engineering.

Responsibilities: 

• Lead and manage a technical team of engineers, scientists, designers, and technical program managers to meet programmatic performance, schedule, cost, and quality commitments in the design, analysis, build, test, and integration of optical, opto-mechanical, and laser systems for trapped ion quantum computers
• Lead engineering strategy and delivery of our optical, opto-mechanical, and laser system technologies and capabilities for quantum computing from inception to new product introduction; including the delivery of prototypes and first engineering units
• Deliver on company-wide goals, OKRs, and technical milestones for technology development, system development, and engineering initiatives on time and within budget
• Provide inputs to strategic and annual planning; optical, opto-mechanical, and laser system development direction; and overall business strategy
• Collaborate across division boundaries to support research and development as well as manufacturing and production initiatives and projects
• Hire and develop staff with the right skills for success
• Assist in the career development of others, including performance assessments for mid-year and end-of-year reviews, compensation adjustments, and provide mentorship on advanced technical issues

You’d be a good fit with:

• Bachelor’s degree in optical, opto-mechanical, mechanical engineering or related field
• 10+ years of progressive experience working in an engineering or related discipline in the technology sector delivering first of kind systems and products to customers
• Experience as leader in an organization that has experienced substantial growth
• Strong knowledge of optical, opto-mechanical, and laser engineering fundamentals at visible and NIR wavelengths for free-space and fiber-based optical systems and components
• Demonstrated experience having built and delivered at least one complex, first of a kind system or hardware product
• Knowledge of team management best practices and demonstrated experience building and scaling effective teams that drives a high-performance culture in a hybrid work environment
• Experience with opto-mechanical design and test of complex structures for sensitive equipment such as electromechanical and optical components with stringent thermal, vibration, acoustic, humidity, and particulate requirements. 
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills 
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion

You’d be a great fit with:

• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, or another relevant discipline with 15+ years of industry experience 
• Demonstrated history and growth in both functional and technical management of complex hardware systems
• Demonstrated ability to make data-driven decisions effectively and efficiently
• Proven technical leadership experience, including the ability to gain the respect of cross-functional engineering teams
• Familiarity with free-space optical systems, such as satellite-based devices, LIDAR, optical lithography, or related technologies used for precision delivery and measurement of laser light
• Familiarity with fiber and integrated optical systems, including one or more of the following: micro-lens fabrication and alignment, MEMS optics, meta-lenses, molded lenses, fiber coupling, and/or PICs
• Experience with optical and opto-mechanical design and analyses software tools for numerical simulation and analysis (MATLAB, Zemax, Lumerical, SolidWorks), including their best practices
• Good knowledge of fixture design, machine shop capabilities, and manufacturing processes
• Knowledge of trapped ion quantum computing systems