Purchasing Specialist

About IonQ:

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.

Vector Atomic, an IonQ company, is building quantum technology to transform navigation, timing, geophysical exploration, and telecommunications. Our team of engineers, scientists, software developers, and operations professionals works together to solve complex challenges and turn bold ideas into real-world solutions. We value collaboration, curiosity, and diverse perspectives, and we give every team member the opportunity to make an immediate impact while growing their skills. If you're excited to work on breakthrough technology in a fast-paced, hands-on environment, we'd love to hear from you.

Location: Pleasanton, California (Bay Area)

Travel: Up to 5%, domestic or international.

The Role:

We're looking for a detail-oriented and proactive individual with strong communication skills, to grow with us. As a Purchasing Specialist, you will be a key contributor to our procurement function, supporting the materials and components essential to our manufacturing efforts. You will collaborate closely with engineers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams to ensure we maintain the right materials, in the right quantities at the right time. If you're excited to support transformational technologies in a fast paced, collaborative environment, we'd love to hear from you!

Responsibilities:

• Work effectively in a government contractor R&D and Manufacturing environment supporting technical staff in furtherance of customer objectives
• Create, issue, and update Purchase Orders (POs) in CostPoint. Maintain master purchasing data (lead times, pricing, MOQs, order multiples, and statuses)
• Order Tracking & Follow-Up: Track open POs, verify vendor confirmations, update delivery schedules, and resolve discrepancies regarding late orders, shortages, or invoice pricing
• Risk & Inventory Visibility: Maintain an open PO tracker, proactively communicate changes in supplier availability or lead times, and escalate potential material shortages impacting production
• Ensure each procurement satisfies the needs of the requisitioner, customer contractual requirements, and Vector Atomic policies and procedures
• Generate and issue purchase orders to vendors for specialized products and goods, ensuring proper authorization, approval routing, and supporting documentation in accordance with SOX segregation-of-duties and approval-authority controls
• Conduct competitive bids and source selections, and document price/cost analysis, determination of fair and reasonable pricing
• Verify prospective vendors are evaluated and approved, and maintain current documentation supporting vendor responsibility determinations
• Support government property, government-furnished material (GFM/GFE)per FAR Part 45 and the company property management system
• Coordinate with Accounting to ensure purchases are coded to the correct project, direct/indirect accounts, and unallowable cost categories, supporting DCAA auditability and the annual incurred cost submission
• Maintain procurement records, audit trails, and documentation sufficient to support DCAA audits, government property audits, and SOX control testing
• Support continuous improvement of procurement processes, internal-control documentation, and ERP system data integrity
• Process material RMA's with vendor and systematically. Support QA with out of spec material disposition