Chief Architect - Optical Communication Terminals
IonQ · Broomfield · $180/day (stated in the posting)
About IonQ:
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.
About Skyloom
Skyloom, an IonQ company, is a telecommunications company founded with the mission to develop, deploy, and operate one of the fundamental pieces of tomorrow’s space communication infrastructure to provide data transport services on a planetary scale. If you have a strong sense of purpose, focus, urgency, and willingness to compete—or if working on space lasers excites you—join our team to develop the future generation of space communication technology.
The Role
Skyloom, an IonQ company, is seeking a Chief Architect to provide technical leadership and architectural direction for next-generation Optical Communication Terminals (OCTs) supporting government and commercial space applications.
You will translate customer and product needs into system-level requirements, develop and guide optical communications architectures, evaluate technical tradeoffs, and establish the engineering direction needed to deliver high-performance optical communications systems.
Working closely with systems engineering and multidisciplinary engineering teams, you will provide technical guidance from early concept and design through development, integration, and validation. This is an architecture-focused leadership role emphasizing technical judgment, system-level thinking, and collaboration rather than day-to-day hardware development or testing.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate brings a strong technical foundation in optoelectronics, laser communications and optical link design, and aerospace or space-based systems.
You have experience translating complex technical requirements into practical system architectures, evaluating design tradeoffs, and guiding multidisciplinary engineering teams. You combine strong engineering fundamentals with architectural judgment, problem-solving ability, and the communication skills needed to influence technical decisions.
Experience developing Optical Communication Terminals (OCTs) or Free Space Optical (FSO) communication systems is highly valuable. We are also interested in candidates from adjacent technical backgrounds who demonstrate the depth, aptitude, and leadership capabilities to grow into broader optical communications architecture ownership.
Location & Travel
This role offers the flexibility to work remotely within the United States, with periodic travel to collaborate with our engineering teams as needed. Skyloom operates through a distributed engineering model, allowing the Chief Architect to focus on system architecture, technical leadership, and design decisions while partnering closely with teams responsible for hardware development, integration, and testing.
Onsite collaboration will be coordinated around key technical milestones, design reviews, and activities requiring direct engagement with engineering teams.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development and evolution of system-level architectures for Optical Communication Terminals supporting commercial and government space applications.
- Translate customer, product, and mission needs into technical requirements and architectural solutions in collaboration with systems engineering.
- Define system architecture, subsystem interfaces, design approaches, and technical requirements that guide engineering execution.
- Evaluate technical tradeoffs involving optical and electronic subsystems, communication performance, reliability, and space-environment constraints.
- Apply engineering judgment across optoelectronics, laser communications, optical link design, and space-based communications systems.
- Develop and communicate architecture documentation, design artifacts, and technical recommendations to guide multidisciplinary teams.
- Provide architectural leadership during design reviews, system development, integration, and technical problem resolution.
- Collaborate with optical, electrical, mechanical, software, FPGA, systems engineering, and test teams to maintain alignment between architecture and implementation.
- Evaluate system performance, design risks, and engineering tradeoffs to support product development and technical decision-making.
- Provide technical thought leadership, mentor engineers, and contribute to the long-term direction of Skyloom's optical communications technology.
- Work effectively with geographically distributed engineering teams and participate in onsite technical collaboration when needed.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
- Significant engineering experience in optical communications, optoelectronics, aerospace systems, or a closely related technical discipline.
- Strong understanding of optoelectronic systems, including interactions between optical and electronic subsystems.
- Solid foundation in communications theory, laser communications, and optical link design, including link budgets and system performance.
- Experience with space-based communications systems, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO) applications and Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs).
- Demonstrated ability to translate technical requirements into system architectures, evaluate engineering tradeoffs, and provide technical direction to multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Strong technical communication, analytical problem-solving, and engineering judgment, with the ability to influence technical decisions in a collaborative environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience architecting or developing Optical Communication Terminals (OCTs) or Free Space Optical (FSO) communication systems for space applications.
- Experience with high-speed optical communications, including 100 Gbps or greater systems.
- Knowledge of Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking (PAT), beam steering, adaptive optics, or optical system modeling and simulation.
Compensation
The approximate base salary range for this position is $180,000 - $220,000. The total compensation package includes base salary, bonus, equity, and a range of benefits.
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 paid holidays, parental/adoption leave, legal insurance, and a home technology stipend. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided when a candidate receives an offer of employment.
At IonQ, we believe in fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all while striving to identify and eliminate barriers. We empower employees to thrive by fostering a culture of autonomy, productivity, and respect. We are dedicated to creating an environment where individuals can feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued.
We are committed to equity and justice. We welcome different voices and viewpoints and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.
US Technical Jobs. The position you are applying for will require access to technology that is subject to U.S. export control and government contract restrictions. Employment with IonQ is contingent on either verifying “U.S. Person” (e.g., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum) status for export controls and government contracts work, obtaining any necessary license, and/or confirming the availability of a license exception under U.S. export controls. Please note that in the absence of confirming you are a U.S. Person for export control and government contracts work purposes, IonQ may choose not to apply for a license or decline to use a license exception (if available) for you to access export-controlled technology that may require authorization, and similarly, you may not qualify for government contracts work that requires U.S. Persons, and IonQ may decline to proceed with your application on those bases alone. Accordingly, we will have some additional questions regarding your immigration status that will be used for export control and compliance purposes, and the answers will be reviewed by compliance personnel to ensure compliance with federal law.
US Non-Technical Jobs. Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. Accordingly, we will have some additional questions regarding your immigration status that will be used for export control and compliance purposes, and the answers will be reviewed by compliance personnel to ensure compliance with federal law.
If you are interested in being a part of our team and mission, we encourage you to apply!