Cryogenic Systems Mechanical Engineer (REA Lead)

HRL Laboratories, LLC; Malibu (CA); On-site; USD 128,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K match

Gym facilities

PTO & Sick time

Job summary

HRL Laboratories, an IBM Company, is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer to serve as the Responsible Engineering Authority (REA) and lead the design and development of advanced cryogenic systems for quantum research.

This role requires ownership of system-level design, configuration control, BOM management, and hosting technical reviews while collaborating with scientists, system architects, electronics and operations engineers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering with 4+ years of industry experience.
• Expertise in mechanical design using CAD tools (SolidWorks preferred).
• Experience serving as a system-level REA or equivalent technical authority.
• Knowledge of heat transfer, thermal management, and cryogenic system behavior.
• Experience with FEA tools such as ANSYS or COMSOL.
• Ability to develop and manage product structures, BOMs, and configuration baselines.
• Experience writing clear assembly instructions, procedures, and documentation.
• Hands-on experience with system integration, hardware testing, and troubleshooting.
• Ability to interpret ambiguous requirements and guide design decisions.
• Strong communication skills, including technical writing and review leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design of cryogenic research systems, including concept development, detailed modeling, and documentation.
• Serve as the Responsible Engineering Authority (REA) for assigned systems, ensuring design integrity, configuration control, and compliance with requirements.
• Develop mechanical CAD models, drawings, and GD&T for complex assemblies and components.
• Manage system product structure, hardware configurations, and bills of materials.
• Write assembly instructions, work procedures, and integration plans for system builds.
• Oversee mechanical and system-level integration activities in lab environments.
• Perform thermal and mechanical analyses to inform design decisions.
• Inform thermal test plans to validate system performance.
• Host and participate in design reviews, providing clear technical rationale and documentation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to derive requirements and troubleshoot issues.
• Mentor junior team members and support continuous improvement of engineering practices.

Skills

Mechanical design

System-level thinking

Documentation & reviews

Thermal analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS

COMSOL

Job description

HRL Laboratories, an IBM Company, is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer to serve as the Responsible Engineering Authority (REA) and lead the design and development of advanced cryogenic systems for quantum research.

This role requires ownership of system-level design, configuration control, BOM management, and hosting technical reviews while collaborating with scientists, system architects, electronics and operations engineers.