Federal Capture Director

IonQ•College Park, MD

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

IonQ is seeking a Federal Capture Director to join its Go-to-Market / Federal Growth team. This role is responsible for leading strategic capture pursuits to transform breakthrough quantum technologies into successful federal programs, driving revenue growth across U.S. government agencies such as the DoD, IC, DOE, and civilian agencies. The position is based in College Park, MD, with a hybrid work option, and requires up to 25% domestic travel. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the federal procurement lifecycle (Shipley process), extensive relationships within the federal ecosystem, program management experience, and the ability to translate complex quantum capabilities into effective federal solutions.

Requirements

8+ years of professional experience in Federal Capture Management, Business Development, or Program Management within the U.S. Federal sector (Civilian agencies, DoD, Intelligence Community).
Proven track record capturing federal contracts ($10M+ value) for complex technical solutions, with direct experience in quantum technologies. Broader deep technology experience (e.g., cybersecurity, HPC, cloud, AI infrastructure, advanced hardware) is also considered.
Demonstrated ability to organize and lead matrixed, cross-functional pursuit teams through the full capture lifecycle.
Proven experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder programs in a federal or defense context; technical program management experience is strongly preferred.
Thorough understanding of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR/DFARS), OTA (Other Transaction Authority) contracting vehicles, and the formal Shipley capture management lifecycle.
An existing, referenceable network of federal customers, acquisition officials, and partner networks within the federal systems integrator (GSI) community.
Exceptional ability to synthesize complex, next-generation technical capabilities into compelling, mission-focused business cases for federal executives.
U.S. Citizenship is required, with the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance (Secret or Top Secret/SCI).

Nice To Haves

Active Security Clearance: Current Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI clearance.
Advanced Certifications: PMP, Shipley Capture Management certification, or APMP Practitioner certification.
Experience in a high-growth, venture-backed, or fast-paced commercial tech environment transitioning into the federal sector.

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end capture process for high-priority U.S. Federal opportunities, from identification and qualification through win strategy development, proposal submission, and post-award transition.
Develop competitive positioning, pricing strategies, technical solutions, and value propositions tailored to federal agency requirements and mission gaps.
Identify, vet, and negotiate agreements with teaming partners, systems integrators (GSIs), subcontractors, and small businesses to enhance the probability of winning.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with key federal stakeholders, Program Managers, Contracting Officers, and industry partners to influence procurement strategies.
Lead formal capture lifecycle reviews (e.g., Black Hat, Blue Team, Black Team, Pink/Red Team) and report pursuit status, resource needs, and risk mitigation to executive leadership.
Collaborate with Proposal Managers and subject matter experts (SMEs) to integrate capture intelligence into compliant and compelling technical and management proposal volumes.
Conduct ongoing competitive analysis and Price-to-Win (PTW) assessments to optimize the positioning of IonQ's offerings against competitors.
Proactively mature the federal pipeline, converting early-stage leads into qualified capture accounts.