--- title: 'Mechanical Engineer at QuEra Computing, Inc.' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-quera-computing-inc-tsukuba-70cmskrjgs6t' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # Mechanical Engineer at QuEra Computing, Inc. - **Company:** QuEra Computing, Inc. - **Location:** Tsukuba, Japan - **Posted:** 2026-04-16 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/queracomputinginc/jobs/5190619008 ## Job description Mechanical Engineer QuEra Computing Japan · Hardware Engineering Location: Japan Team: Hardware Engineering Level: Mid-level individual contributor (~5 years) Reports to: Hardware Engineering (US), with day-to-day coordination through Japan Operations Position overview QuEra Computing Japan is advancing the development of neutral-atom quantum computing systems in collaboration with global engineering teams. We are seeking a Mechanical Engineer to join our growing Japan team. This is a deliberately broad, hands-on role for someone who likes being close to the hardware. You will do mechanical design as well as hands-on work on the quantum computer — inspecting, assembling, installing, troubleshooting, and fixing — and the local technical point of contact for the Japanese suppliers and contract manufacturers who build our parts. We are looking for a practical generalist rather than a specialist: comfortable in CAD in the morning, on a machine with a multimeter in the afternoon, and on a call with a supplier about a drawing tolerance the next day. If you want narrow, deep design work, this is not that role. If you want to own the physical reality of a quantum computer on the ground in Japan, it is. ## Key responsibilities Mechanical design and documentation - Create 3D CAD models and 2D drawings using Autodesk Inventor, managed in Autodesk Vault. - Design parts, brackets, enclosures, and assemblies with forethought toward manufacturing and assembly (DfM/DfA), applying GD&T appropriately. - Specify, procure, and prepare prototypes; assist with testing and validation. - Produce and maintain technical documentation — design requirements and specifications, drawings, assembly instructions, and test reports. - Work with cross-functional and interdisciplinary teams to ensure designs meet performance and manufacturability requirements. Machine support and site reliability - Keep deployed systems running: inspection, assembly, installation, and preventive maintenance of quantum computer modules. - Identify performance issues, determine root cause, propose correction options with tradeoffs, and implement the fix. - During testing, development, and deployment phases, surface issues early and review problems and proposed solutions with the US team. - Perform hands-on technical work as needed — wiring, soldering, basic electrical measurement and troubleshooting with a multimeter, assembly, cleaning, and general lab support. We are a startup and everyone touches hardware. - Improve serviceability and reliability of the systems over time, feeding lessons learned back into design. Supplier and contract manufacturer interface - Act as the local technical interface between QuEra engineering and Japanese suppliers and contract manufacturers — alignment on specifications, manufacturability, and timelines. - Support the identification, qualification, and onboarding of Japanese suppliers, in partnership with the US Supply Base Engineering and Supply Chain teams. - Ensure supplier documentation packages are complete and current: 3D models, drawings, assembly procedures, test procedures, test reports. - Support design, procurement, and assembly of parts and enclosures by third-party vendors. - Perform incoming part acceptance inspection and drive resolution when parts don't conform. - Lead or support root cause analysis and corrective action for supplier-related quality issues. - Help identify high-risk items and acceptable alternate components; support the US team's risk mitigation planning. - Support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and supplier transitions with minimal disruption to builds. - Support supplier readiness during new product introduction (NPI). Ways of working - Contribute to a culture of engineering best practices — documentation, configuration control, and disciplined change management. - Communicate clearly across a distributed, cross-timezone team. ## Qualifications Required - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field. - Approximately 5 years of professional experience in mechanical design, with meaningful hands-on build, installation, or field-service exposure. - Proficiency in 3D CAD (Autodesk Inventor preferred) and experience with PDM software (Autodesk Vault preferred). - Strong understanding of mechanical design principles, materials, and manufacturing processes — machining, sheet metal, and mechanical assembly. - Demonstrated experience working with machine shops and contract manufacturers. - Practical electrical skills: soldering, wiring, and basic troubleshooting with a multimeter. - Working knowledge of GD&T and DfM/DfA. - Familiarity with product lifecycle management and configuration management processes. - Business-level Japanese and English. Japanese is required for supplier and contract-manufacturer work; English is required for daily collaboration with the US engineering team. - Willingness to travel domestically to supplier and customer sites, and internationally to the US as needed. - Self-motivated, strong problem-solving skills, and a genuine team player. ## Preferred - Experience with supplier quality tools and methods (FMEA, 8D, CAPA, PPAP, SPC) — familiarity is valued; certification is not expected. - Experience in thermal management and liquid cooling design. - Experience with opto-mechanical system design, optics, or lasers. - Experience with power electronics systems and infrastructure. - Experience with prototype fabrication and testing. - Experience with precision metrology or high-performance test equipment. - Working knowledge of PLM/ERP/MRP systems. - Exposure to lean manufacturing principles. - Familiarity with MBSE concepts. ## About QuEra Computing, Inc. ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: QuEra Computing builds and commercializes neutral-atom quantum computers, aiming to deliver fault-tolerant systems for scientific, industrial, and government applications. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series B) - **Headquarters**: Boston, Massachusetts, United States - **Founded**: 2018 - **Founders**: Mikhail Lukin (Chief Scientist, Harvard), Vladan Vuletić (CTO, MIT), and additional Harvard/MIT scientists ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Quantum computing (hardware, software, and cloud services) - **Target customers**: High-performance computing (HPC) centers, public sector agencies, enterprise innovators, and research institutions – primarily B2B - **Mission**: *“A world where quantum computing is a trusted tool for solving high-value problems in science, industry, and society.”* [quera.com](https://www.quera.com/about) ## Products & Services - **Aquila**: A 256-qubit neutral-atom quantum computer that became the first publicly accessible neutral-atom system on Amazon Braket (launched 2023). Used for quantum simulation and research. - **Gemini**: QuEra’s first commercially available gate-based neutral-atom quantum computer, deployed on-premises (first system delivered to Japan in 2023). - **Quantum Innovation Platform**: A full-stack offering combining hardware, software, and co-design services to help partners develop quantum solutions for specific industries. - **Roadmap to Fault Tolerance**: QuEra plans to reach megaquop logical performance with hundreds of logical qubits by 2028, and gigaquop performance with ~1,000 logical qubits shortly after. [quera.com](https://www.quera.com/) ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed; raised >$230M in Series B financing (backed by Google, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Valor, and later expanded by NVIDIA’s NVentures). Total known funding: $17M seed (2021) + $230M+ Series B. - **Key Metric**: Total funding ~$247M+ (private company; revenue not publicly available) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Google, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Valor Equity Partners, NVIDIA (NVentures), and others. - **Growth Signals**: - Selected by Japan’s AIST for a ~$40M on-premises neutral-atom computer integrated with the NVIDIA-powered ABCI-Q supercomputer. - Chosen for DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) Stages A and B. - Demonstrated a logical quantum processor with 48 logical qubits (2024 Physics World Breakthrough). - Published first experimental demonstration of magic state distillation for universal logical quantum computing. ## Competitive Advantages - **Neutral-atom technology**: Scalable to thousands of qubits using optical tweezers, offering a path to fault-tolerant quantum computing that is widely recognized as highly promising. - **Strong academic roots**: Built on pioneering research from Harvard University and MIT, with founders who are leading physicists in the field. - **Early ecosystem leadership**: First neutral-atom system on a public cloud (Amazon Braket), first commercially available gate-based neutral-atom system, and active partnerships with major HPC centers and governments. - **Fault-tolerance roadmap**: Clear technical milestones (megaquop by 2028, gigaquop shortly after) backed by published breakthroughs in error correction and logical qubits. ## Strategic Focus - **Scaling toward fault tolerance**: Executing a roadmap to deliver error-corrected logical quantum computers by 2028. - **Commercial expansion**: Deploying on-premises systems to HPC centers and government labs (e.g., AIST in Japan, DARPA). - **Ecosystem building**: Co-designing applications with enterprise and public-sector partners, and integrating with classical supercomputing infrastructure (e.g., NVIDIA GPU clusters). - **International presence**: Establishing QuEra Computing Japan to support the country’s national quantum strategy. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Described as “more science, less fiction” with a focus on real physics, precision engineering, and collaborative learning across disciplines. [quera.com/careers](https://www.quera.com/careers) - **Benefits**: Company-subsidized medical insurance with Health Reimbursement Account, 100% company-paid dental and vision, 401(k) with dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% (immediate vesting), flexible time off, paid holidays, sick leave, free parking, catered lunch-and-learns, stocked kitchens, and employee events. - **Work environment**: Based in Boston, MA. The engineering team develops classical control systems that operate neutral-atom quantum computers, moving quantum from lab experiments to production-grade systems. - **Team**: Leadership includes experienced executives (CEO Andy Ory, CFO Ed Durkin, CCO Yuval Boger) and world-class scientists (CTO Vladan Vuletić, Chief Scientist Mikhail Lukin). The company emphasizes internal cross-disciplinary collaboration and external partnerships. ## Sources 1. [quera.com](https://www.quera.com/) – Official website, roadmap, and product details. 2. [quera.com/careers](https://www.quera.com/careers) – Careers page with benefits and culture. 3. [quera.com/about](https://www.quera.com/about) – Company history, leadership, funding, and milestones. 4. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/quera-computing) – Company overview and financial data. 5. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quera-computing-inc) – LinkedIn company page. ## Other roles at QuEra Computing, Inc. - [Government Contracts Compliance Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/government-contracts-compliance-manager-quera-computing-inc-albuquerque-fczg85sxe6xc) — Albuquerque, NM - [Senior IT System Administrator](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-it-system-administrator-quera-computing-inc-boston-a1p2fc4bff49) — Boston, MA - [Senior Manufacturing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manufacturing-engineer-quera-computing-inc-boston-aeqtartwqtnr) — Boston, MA - [Security Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/security-analyst-quera-computing-inc-boston-32tvvk4pevzm) — Boston, MA - [Sr. QPU Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-qpu-software-engineer-quera-computing-inc-boston-s4kpfs2hb3ny) — Boston, MA - [Developer Relations Lead, Quantum Software](https://feeny.ai/job/developer-relations-lead-quantum-software-quera-computing-inc-boston-9zbjde8110qq) — Boston, MA - [Quantum Scientist – FTQC Education](https://feeny.ai/job/quantum-scientist-ftqc-education-quera-computing-inc-boston-v1n45dt5hbga) — Boston, MA - [Photonics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/photonics-engineer-quera-computing-inc-boston-0brtd2fkdqh6) — Boston, MA - [Quantum Scientist](https://feeny.ai/job/quantum-scientist-quera-computing-inc-boston-0cq90d7ds5e7) — Boston, MA - [Senior Accountant](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-accountant-quera-computing-inc-boston-bgrecmdcr3w2) — Boston, MA