Senior Mechanical Engineer, Quantum Clock Systems

Mesa Quantum; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Equity

Benefits package

Boulder, Colorado office

Job summary

Mesa Quantum in Boulder, Colorado is seeking a hands-on Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical and thermal design of our chip-scale atomic clock, driving SWaP-C improvements and ensuring production readiness across cross-functional teams.

You will model, build, test prototypes, and collaborate with physics, photonics, electrical, and manufacturing groups to transition designs into production under demanding conditions.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering required with 8+ years experience (or MS/PhD with 5+ years).
• Advanced SolidWorks or Creo with production drawings and GD&T.
• Experience with thermal and structural FEA using tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, or SolidWorks Simulation and validated against test data.
• Hands-on experience with thermal management, precision hardware, and ruggedization for shock and vibration.
• Experience designing small hardware from prototype through production, including vacuum or hermetic packaging and leak testing.
• Ability to build and test prototypes, document designs clearly, and work with machine shops, vendors, and CM.

Responsibilities

• Own system-level mechanical architecture, CAD design, drawings, prototypes, and production release.
• Manage mass, volume, and power budgets; run trade studies to reduce SWaP-C without compromising clock stability.
• Develop thermal designs and models for the vapor cell, laser, and electronics, and correlate predictions with test data.
• Design for shock, vibration, and thermal cycling; plan and execute environmental tests and implement improvements.
• Develop vacuum or hermetic packaging, magnetic shielding, and precision alignment for optics and other sensitive components.
• Drive design for manufacturing and assembly, supplier collaboration, assembly documentation, and production readiness.
• Collaborate with physics, photonics, electrical, firmware, and manufacturing teams on current and next-generation clock designs.

Skills

System-level design

SWaP-C optimization

Cross-functional collaboration

Thermal management

Education

BS in Mechanical Engineering

MS/PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

ANSYS

COMSOL

SolidWorks Simulation

Vacuum packaging

Job description

Mesa Quantum in Boulder, Colorado is seeking a hands-on Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical and thermal design of our chip-scale atomic clock, driving SWaP-C improvements and ensuring production readiness across cross-functional teams.

You will model, build, test prototypes, and collaborate with physics, photonics, electrical, and manufacturing groups to transition designs into production under demanding conditions.