Staff Software Engineer – Billing & Metering

IonQ is developing the world's most powerful full-stack quantum computer based on trapped-ion technology. We are pushing past the limits of classical physics and current supercomputing technology to unlock a new era of computing. Quantum computing has the potential to impact every area of human society for the better. IonQ’s computers will soon redefine industries like medicine, materials science, finance, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cryptography, and more. IonQ is at the forefront of this technological revolution. 

We don’t just build the world’s best quantum computers—we sell them! We make our systems available via the cloud, alongside quantum services to do the heavy lifting for our customers.  We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer to lead our billing and payments platform integration efforts, which makes it possible for us to meter and sell our products to customers. You’ll lead key components of the platform in collaboration with our product team and other engineers, to build the best quantum developer experience for our customers and partners.

Responsibilities:

• Architectural Vision & Strategy: Architect and lead the design and building of our next-generation billing and payments platform. Author technical design documents, RFCs, and roadmaps that align with long-term business goals
• Technical Authority & Mentorship: Act as the ultimate technical authority for the billing domain. Provide guidance, mentorship, and technical oversight to senior engineers and team leads across the organization. Elevate the entire engineering team through best practices and knowledge sharing
• Solve Complex Problems: Spearhead the development of solutions for our most challenging technical problems, such as implementing sophisticated usage-based billing models or expanding into new international markets with complex tax and compliance needs
• Strategic Cross-Functional Influence: Collaborate with senior leadership in Product, Finance, and Legal to influence product strategy and ensure our technical architecture can support future business initiatives. Translate complex business needs into a scalable and maintainable technical reality
• Hands-On Development: While this is a strategic role, you are expected to remain hands-on by leading the development of new solutions, contributing to critical path code, and performing deep-dive investigations into production issues

You’d be a good fit with: 

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field, or equivalent training, fellowship, or work experience
• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a history of technical leadership and shipping large-scale, mission-critical systems
• Deep, expert-level knowledge (4+ years) of payment processing platforms, with extensive hands-on experience with the Stripe API for SaaS and/or Marketplace use cases (Stripe Billing, Connect, Invoicing, etc.)
• Strong understanding of transaction lifecycles, payment processing flows, and idempotency in distributed systems
• Past experience with usage-based billing and invoice reconciliation
• Solid understanding of microservices architecture, event-driven systems, and data consistency patterns
• Proven experience designing and leading large-scale, cross-team technical projects from inception to completion
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, demonstrated through a portfolio of technical design documents, architectural diagrams, or public presentations
• Expertise programming backends in Go or JavaScript
• A strong sense of ownership and the ability to navigate ambiguity to drive complex projects forward with a high degree of autonomy
• Familiarity with using AI in day to day coding 

You’d be a great fit with:

• 10+ years of software developer experience
• Experience with global payment systems, including international tax regulations (VAT, GST), currency conversion, and local payment methods
• Deep understanding of financial compliance (PCI DSS) and revenue recognition principles
• Past experience with subscription billing systems, usage-based billing, and invoice reconciliation
• Past experience integrating fraud detection systems
• Familiarity with usage-based billing platforms like Metronome
• Active participation in the broader tech community (e.g., open-source contributions, conference talks)
• Location: Ideally, this role will work onsite or hybrid at our office located in Bothell, WA or College Park, MD.  We are open to a remote option for the right candidate.
• Travel: Up to 10%
• Job ID:  1180

The approximate base salary range for this position is $162,920 - $213,304. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, and equity.

Compensation will vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Posted base salary figures are subject to change as new market data becomes available. Beyond base salary, total compensation includes a variable bonus and equity component and a range of benefit options found on our career site at ionq.co/jobs.  Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided when a candidate receives an offer of employment. Our US benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, matching 401K, unlimited PTO and paid holidays, parental/adoption leave, legal insurance, a home internet stipend, and pet insurance! 

IonQ's HQ is located in College Park, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC. We are actively building out our recently opened manufacturing and production facility in Bothell, WA (near Seattle). Depending on the position, you may be required to be near one of our offices in College Park, Seattle, Toronto, Canada, and Basel, Switzerland. However, IonQ will expand into additional domestic and international geographies, so don’t let this stop you from applying!
 
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!