Principal Cloud Architect

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.  

Location: This position can work onsite or hybrid from one of our offices in the US or fully remote.
Travel: Up to 5%
Job ID: 1735

The Role:

We are looking for a Cloud Architect to lead the design, implementation, and governance of our cloud infrastructure. In this role, you will define the technical strategy for how we build and operate workloads in the cloud, translate business requirements into scalable architectures, and serve as the technical authority on cloud platforms across the organization. You will partner closely with engineering, security, and operations teams to ensure our cloud environment is reliable, secure, cost-effective, and aligned with long-term business goals.

Responsibilities:

• Design and document end-to-end cloud architectures spanning compute, storage, networking, identity, and data services.
• Define and maintain cloud reference architectures, design patterns, and technical standards that engineering teams build against.
• Lead cloud migration efforts, including assessment, planning, and execution of moving on-premises or legacy workloads to the cloud.
• Evaluate and recommend cloud services, tools, and third-party solutions based on technical fit, cost, and operational impact.
• Implement infrastructure-as-code practices to ensure environments are repeatable, version-controlled, and auditable.
• Build security and compliance into architectures from the start, including identity and access management, encryption, network segmentation, and adherence to relevant regulatory frameworks.
• Develop strategies for high availability, disaster recovery, scalability, and performance optimization.
• Establish cloud cost management and governance practices, identifying opportunities to optimize spend.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams, conducting architecture reviews and guiding implementation decisions.
• Stay current with emerging cloud technologies and assess their potential value to the organization.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across the business to align cloud strategy with organizational objectives.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, software engineering, or systems architecture, with at least 3 years in a cloud-focused role.
• Deep, hands-on expertise with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform).
• Strong understanding of cloud networking, identity and access management, and security best practices.
• Proven experience designing scalable, resilient, and secure distributed systems.
• Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tooling (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation, Bicep, or Pulumi).
• Experience with containerization and orchestration (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Solid grasp of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience architecting across multiple cloud providers or in hybrid-cloud environments.
• Relevant certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Professional), Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Professional Cloud Architect, or TOGAF.
• Familiarity with monitoring, observability, and logging platforms.
• Experience with scripting or programming languages (e.g., Python, Go, PowerShell).
• Background working in regulated or compliance-driven industries.
• Experience leading or mentoring technical teams.

The approximate base salary range for this position is $167,808 - $219,704. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.

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!