Senior Director, Corporate Affairs and Government Relations Strategy & Operations

IonQ•College Park, MD

5d•$224,652 - $292,953•Hybrid

About The Position

IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum company delivering solutions to solve the world’s most complex problems. IonQ’s newest generation quantum computers, IonQ Tempo and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are the latest in cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners such as Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results. The company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance in 2025. The company is accelerating its technology roadmap and intends to deliver the world’s most powerful quantum computers with 2 million qubits by 2030 to accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. IonQ’s advancements in quantum networking position the company as a leader in building the quantum internet. As IonQ continues its rapid growth trajectory and expands engagement with government-funded initiatives, we need a strategic leader to serve as a Senior Director, Corporate Affairs and Government Relations Strategy & Operations who will be partnered with the SVP, Federal and Chief Corporate Affairs (CCA) and Government Relations Officer (GRO) while simultaneously building and operationalizing our Federal, Government Relations and Corporate Affairs Teams. This role requires an exceptional operator who can think strategically, execute flawlessly, and build scalable infrastructure across multiple high-priority domains. In this role you will serve as the strategic advisor and operational lead for the SVP, Federal and CCA/GRO. You will create customer mapping, operational playbooks, systems, and strategic frameworks for Federal, government relations and corporate affairs.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive experience in government, public policy, corporate affairs or chief of staff roles, with at least 5 years at the director level or above
Proven experience advising C-suite executives and influencing enterprise strategy
Demonstrated ability to lead complex, competing priorities and drive execution across matrixed organizations
Exceptional strategic thinking with strong operational and execution
Experience building functions or operational infrastructure from the ground up
Strong understanding of government contracting requirements and public sector stakeholder management
Exceptional writing, editing, and executive communication abilities
Superior judgment, discretion, and ability to handle confidential information
Ability to operate seamlessly between strategic advising and hands-on execution in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
Bachelor's degree in political science, business, Journalism, economics or related field

Nice To Haves

MBA degree

Responsibilities

Shape strategic priorities, messaging and strategic initiatives to maximize organizational impact and ensure alignment
Anticipate needs, emerging risks, policy shifts and stakeholder dynamics and provide solutions-oriented recommendations
Represent the SVP, Fed & CCA/GRO and drive special projects as appropriate
Drive strategic planning processes and cadence, including quarterly business reviews, annual planning and board engagements
Monitor and manage operating frameworks, performance tracking and governance to ensure accountability and measurable impact
Oversee prioritization and execution of key initiatives across Federal, Corporate Affairs, Government Relations, Go-to-Market, Business Development, Legal, HR and executive teams to advance shared goals
Create and institutionalize playbooks, protocols, communications governance and engagement strategies for M&A activities that are scalable
Orchestrate executive communications and information flow to ensure clarity, consistency and alignment
Prepare high-impact briefing materials, executive summaries and external engagement materials for senior leadership, elected officials, trade associations and key stakeholders
Support enterprise issues management and crisis response in coordination with cross-functional teams
Strengthen talent development, onboarding and culture within the Fed & CCA/GRO