Principal Mechanical Engineer About Us We are building scalable, fault-tolerant neutral atom quantum computers that harness the power of atomic physics, precision engineering, and advanced control systems. Our interdisciplinary team combines quantum scientists, optical mechanical and electrical engineers, and software developers to push the boundaries of what’s physically possible.

About The Role

We are seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical system design, system engineering, and infrastructure architecture that enable high-fidelity, scalable neutral atom quantum systems. This role will own key aspects of system design and integration — from mechanical and thermal stability to automated alignment and digital design workflows — ensuring that our hardware meets the demands of world-class quantum performance. You will be responsible for end-to-end ownership of mechanical design and integration, partnering closely with physics, optical, and controls teams to deliver robust, high-precision, and manufacturable systems.

Key Areas of Ownership Thermal and Vibration Management – Architect and own thermal control systems, including liquid cooling infrastructure, vibration isolation, and dynamic stability of quantum system platforms.

Requirements

, and traceability across mechanical, electrical, and optical domains. PLM / Digital Thread – Establish and maintain a robust product lifecycle management (PLM) workflows and practices, ensuring a seamless digital thread from concept through production. CAD Ownership – Oversee mechanical CAD architecture, standards, libraries, and best practices across the engineering organization.

). Alignment and Calibration Design for Automation – Lead the mechanical and control architecture for automated alignment, calibration, and repeatability across complex opto-mechanical subsystems.

for modules and systems, and to translate those

into testable acceptance criteria.

Responsibilities

Own the architecture, design, optimization of electrical enclosures, liquid cooling and thermal/environmental control systems, ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chambers, vibration isolation, and precision opto-mechanical assemblies through delegation and mentoring of more junior engineers. Communicate clearly and concisely across multidisciplinary teams about technical reasoning and design tradeoffs, project statuses, risks, blockers, etc. Collaborate with cross-functional teams (optical engineering, electrical engineering, controls engineering, laser engineering, software engineering, AMO physicists and other scientists) to ensure tight integration and system-level performance and reliability Advocate for and help implement engineering best practices including phase-gated design process, testing, and proper documentation to enable reliability and scalability, while also balancing the need to make rapid progress in a fast moving startup environment.

Contribute strategically to system roadmaps, manufacturing scaling plans, and overall hardware development strategy. Advance state-of-the-art engineering practices at QuEra through independent research, problem-solving, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

S. D. in Mechanical Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience.

10+ years in precision mechanical design for high-stability or opto-mechanical systems. Expertise in thermal management, vibration isolation, and liquid cooling systems.