Photonics Test Engineer

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Photonics Test Engineer. Location: Oxford, England, United Kingdom

Responsibilities:

• Lead device characterisation of photonic components using advanced optical equipment and laboratory systems.
• Design, assemble, validate, and calibrate optical metrology setups, including microscope-style systems with alignment stages and calibration tools.
• Own experimental validation and generate clear pass or fail performance decisions.
• Analyse experimental data and present clear technical recommendations to improve device performance;
• Build reliable and repeatable metrology setup design processes to improve throughput and measurement accuracy.
• Collaborate closely with photonics, device, and hardware teams to translate measurement results into design improvements.
• Improve laboratory measurement standards, documentation quality, and repeatability practices.
• Support performance optimisation of photonic devices used in trapped-ion quantum computing systems.

Qualifications:

• Strong hands-on experience with optical metrology and photonic component characterisation in a laboratory environment.
• Proven ability to design and calibrate optical test rigs or microscope-style measurement systems.
• Solid understanding of optics fundamentals and experimental measurement techniques;
• Experience analysing experimental data and converting results into clear technical guidance.
• Comfortable working in a collaborative, cross-functional engineering environment.
• Experience with automation of data acquisition or analysis pipelines is a plus.

Benefits and Compensation:

• Competitive salary.
• IonQ stock options.
• Annual performance bonus.
• Generous annual leave.
• Flexible hybrid working model;
• Private medical and dental insurance for employees and their families.
• Opportunity to work with a global team of scientists and engineers building next-generation quantum systems.

Other Information:

• Oxford Ionics is part of IonQ and works on trapped-ion technology to build scalable quantum systems.
• The company aims to develop large-scale quantum computers and advance quantum networking capabilities;
• Equal opportunity employer welcoming applicants from all backgrounds.