Mechanical Engineer III (Clearance preferred)

Location: This role will be based onsite at our office in Louisville, Colorado office.
Travel: Up to 5%
Job ID: 499

About Capella

Capella, an IonQ company, spans national security, advanced sensing, and next-generation compute to deliver secure, mission-ready intelligence. Capella’s culture is built on collaboration, rigorous engineering, and a shared commitment to delivering solutions that strengthens global stability and security. Team members work side-by-side with some of the most innovative minds in space systems, quantum-enabled technologies, and mission-critical operations. Capella values curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to tackle hard problems with precision and creativity. Capella welcomes and encourages applicants whose perspectives are historically underrepresented in technology, national security, and aerospace. No prior space experience is required. Diverse viewpoints strengthen Capella’s ability to innovate and to deliver meaningful impact for partners worldwide.

What Makes Capella Unique

Capella, an IonQ company, spans national security, advanced sensing, and next-generation compute to deliver secure, mission-ready intelligence. Capella’s culture is built on collaboration, rigorous engineering, and a shared commitment to delivering solutions that strengthens global stability and security. Team members work side-by-side with some of the most innovative minds in space systems, quantum-enabled technologies, and mission-critical operations. No prior space experience is required. Capella values curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to tackle hard problems with precision and creativity. Capella welcomes and encourages applicants whose perspectives are historically underrepresented in technology, national security, and aerospace. Diverse viewpoints strengthen Capella’s ability to innovate and to deliver meaningful impact for partners worldwide.

The Role

The Mechanical Engineering team is responsible for designing and building the spacecrafts, prototypes, and fixtures at Capella. We are responsible for the full design life cycling starting from: requirement definition, concept development, analysis to validate design, drawings for production, assembling prototypes and flight articles, all the way to supporting verification testing. Team members will get to perform a variety of exciting tasks throughout the life cycle of the project.

As a Mechanical Engineer III, you will be supporting the design of a major subsystem. Your focus will be satellite design, but you will also be leaned upon to help out cross functionally across different departments including improving and scaling production. Design work will vary anywhere from ground support fixturing, to electronic sub assembly packaging, to full satellite layout. Good communication is a must as you will be working with many different teams and vendors to come up with a design that satisfies system level requirements and takes us to the next level.

Requirements

• Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering; graduate degree preferred.
• 2-5 year experience in a related field.
• Experience with Solidworks CAD Software for design and analysis
• Experience creating Manufacturing Drawings with knowledge of GD&T.
• Experience with NASTRAN, working with composites, carbon fiber & honeycomb, and laminates
• Strong understanding of tolerancing and stack ups.
• Strong understanding of RF, thermal, and power systems.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Active security clearance preferred.
• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Capella Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience with spacecraft design
• Experience with spacecraft environmental verification
• Experience interacting with vendors and machine shops to procure parts.
• Experience with Electronic packaging including harness routing layout and design
• Experience with PDM/PLM systems
• Experience with FEA using Solidworks Simulation or similar software
• Familiarity with NASA / MIL-STD processes and how to handle flight hardware.

Compensation

The approximate base salary range for this position is $96,288- $120,360. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity, and a range of benefit options found on our career site.

Compensation will vary based on individual factors such as education, qualifications and experience of the final candidate(s), specific office location and calibration against relevant market data and internal team equity. Posted base salary figures are subject to change as new market data becomes available.

Benefits/Perks

In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:

• We provide extensive medical coverage, including strong vision and dental plans, flexible spending accounts, and additional supplemental health options.
• 401K Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals
• Generous Parental Leave
• Paid Flexible Time Off Policy
• Lifestyle Spending Account
• Commuter & Parking Benefits
• Mental Health Resources
• Monthly Phone Stipend
• Furry friends? We’ve got you covered with dog-friendly work environment & them with pet insurance options

Equal Opportunity Statement

At IonQ, we believe in fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all, and we strive to identify and eliminate barriers. We empower employees to thrive by fostering a culture of autonomy, productivity, and respect. We are dedicated to creating an environment where individuals can feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued.

We are committed to equity and justice. We welcome different voices and viewpoints and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

To learn more about us, explore our site: https://www.capellaspace.com/ and follow us on X and LinkedIn to see our SAR imagery!