Senior Program Manager, Customer Delivery

IonQ•Bothell, WA

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

IonQ is seeking a customer-obsessed, execution-driven technical program manager to build and lead its new Delivery Excellence function. The mission is to establish and operate systems that align complex delivery processes to ensure customers receive the right deliverables on time, payments are processed promptly, and the overall customer experience is delightful. As a technical program manager within the Quantum Computing product family, you will be part of a cross-functional team focused on delivering world-class quantum computers. This role requires a self-starter with strong organizational skills, a blend of technical and business acumen, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders. The ideal candidate will possess the judgment to manage multiple concurrent programs, maintain a predictable reporting cadence amidst dynamic environments, and build credibility to synthesize technical status for customer and executive consumption. This role specifically owns the delivery of on-premise quantum computing installations from contract signature through acceptance, coordinating across GTM, Product, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Finance. The goal is to build lightweight systems, reviews, and reporting to ensure predictable delivery, establish a central coordination function, and hire/lead a team of program managers to scale the operation. This is an opportunity to bring order to ambiguity, tackle the operational challenges of delivering advanced technology, and significantly impact IonQ and the quantum computing industry.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent real-world experience.
12+ years of experience in technical program management, delivery leadership, or equivalent roles in hardware, deep-tech, or complex systems environments.
Proven track record of leading cross-functional delivery of complex, multi-team programs for external customers, including those with formal reporting and governance requirements.
Experience building and leading a program management team.
Sufficient technical fluency to extract status from engineering, facilities, and other technical teams and translate it into trusted reporting for customers and executives.
World-class written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex topics to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated ability to act as a self-starting, high-accountability leader in ambiguous and challenging environments, driving impact through persistence and adaptability.

Nice To Haves

Experience delivering physical hardware or complex scientific instruments to customers, including the transition from manufacturing to field deployment and bring-up.
Experience standing up or scaling a program management or delivery function from scratch.
Familiarity with Quantum Computing, Quantum Information Science, or deep-tech R&D.
Experience in Private Cloud Deployment, Scientific Computing, or High Performance Computing, including their tools, users, business models, and operational challenges.
Direct experience with government contracting and milestone-based technical reporting for scientific or research missions (DARPA, DOE, NSF, or similar).

Responsibilities

Clarify Commitments: Understand and document all delivery and reporting obligations for each deal, defining what 'delivered' means and managing expectations.
Build the Backbone: Establish and maintain an operating model for delivery, including templates, runbooks, visible schedules, reporting artifacts, and clear interfaces with deal review processes.
Align and De-Risk: Partner with Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Field Engineering, Finance, and GTM to ensure realistic commitments, identify risks early, and conduct cross-functional reviews to address tradeoffs.
Deliver Excellence: Coordinate and drive sub-programs for on-time delivery, bring-up, and reporting, ensuring consistency while accommodating unique customer needs and maintaining a high standard of customer experience.
Build and Lead: Hire, develop, and lead a team of program managers to scale the delivery function, setting standards and defining the playbook.