Senior Software Engineering Manager, Developer Tools
IonQ · Bothell, WA
$200,698–$262,765from the description
Jul 13, 2026
Bothell, WA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior engineering management role focused on leading a team that builds SDKs and libraries for programming quantum computers and interacting with surrounding systems and services. The work spans hands-on technical contribution, cross-functional program delivery, and active engagement with developer communities. Best suited to someone with a strong open-source background, prior SDK development experience, and a track record of growing and managing distributed engineering teams.
Senior level · 6+ years · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · Bachelor's required · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 1,300 people in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (computer and information systems managers). range 680–1,700
Applicant volume Heavy — This req sits in a large pool with little in its requirements to thin it, and auto-apply tools fire at everything in the occupation. Applying early and leading with the rare skills below is what gets read.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $219,401 (middle half $175,322–$306,147). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (7)
The role is primarily a people-management position (leading and growing a developer tools team, hiring staff, managing distributed teams) with a player-coach coding component — classified as Computer and Information Systems Managers (11-3021). The alt code 15-1252 reflects the meaningful hands-on technical contribution expected.
Bothell, WA falls within the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue CBSA. The posting allows a few days of remote work per week but is not fully remote.
The degree requirement states 'Bachelor's degree … or equivalent practical experience'; because equivalent experience is explicitly accepted, the degree requirement is set to Bachelors as the stated minimum formal credential — the 'or equivalent' clause is noted here for context.
The preferred qualifications section lists an MS/PhD, 10+ years of leadership, distributed team management, open source maintainer experience, quantum computing background, and proficiency in quantum SDKs (Qiskit, PennyLane, Cirq) — all treated as preferred, not required.
'Open source contributions' is listed as a required skill with 5+ years; this is an activity/practice rather than a named tool, but it is explicitly quantified and gated in the requirements section, so it is retained as a skill here.
Total compensation includes base, bonus, and equity; the stated salary range ($200,698–$262,765) reflects base only.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): SDK development.
Read the full posting
The employer publishes the full description on their own site — read it there ↗. Or sign in to read it here — it's free, and it also lets you track this application.