Senior Mechanical Technician
Q-CTRLJobsCloseBy Editorial Insights
Q-CTRL’s Sensing Engineering team is seeking a Precision Mechanical Technician to join the Gravimetry and Magnetometry R&D groups in Sydney. You’ll work almost exclusively on custom, one-off prototypes and ultra-delicate assemblies, turning difficult concepts into physical reality with tight tolerances and high care. The role blends hands-on precision assembly, troubleshooting, lab upkeep, simple Inventor CAD work, and light in-house machining, with cross-functional collaboration to iterate hardware alongside scientists and engineers. Ideal backgrounds include UHV systems, optics or laser lab experience, and a track record in academic or industrial R&D. For applicants, tailor your resume to show precision, problem solving, and collaboration, apply on the company site, and use the official q-ctrl.com domain.
We are seeking an exceptionally skilled and intuitive Precision Mechanical Technician to join our fast-paced Quantum Sensing team. In this role, you will work across our cutting-edge Gravimetry and Magnetometry R&D groups to turn high-level scientific concepts into physical reality.
This is not a production assembly line job. You will be working almost exclusively on custom, one-off or low volume prototypes and ultra-delicate assemblies. We need a natural problem solver—someone with outstanding mechanical intuition who thrives in an R&D environment, handles high-stakes precision hardware with extreme care, and can figure out how to build complex systems even when step-by-step instructions don't exist yet.
Note on Quantum Experience: You do not need a background in quantum mechanics or quantum hardware! We have world-class scientists to handle the physics—we need your exceptional mechanical craftsmanship to bring the hardware to life.What you'll be doing:
- Precision Assembly: Perform meticulous, hands-on assembly of custom, highly delicate mechanical and electro-optical systems where high care, patience, and tight tolerances are critical.
- R&D Troubleshooting & Fixing: Diagnose, troubleshoot, and fix complex mechanical hardware issues. You'll be our go-to "fixer" when parts don't fit quite right or systems need physical tuning.
- Upkeep of lab: use, maintain and train others to keep our 3D printers, laser cutter, tools and other equipment smoothly. Contribute to making our lab space an efficient and organised place
- Simple CAD Design: Utilize Inventor CAD modeling to design simple brackets, enclosures, boxes, and mounting hardware, taking load off the engineering team and keeping builds moving forward.
- Basic Machining & Fabrication: Perform light manual machining, modification, and custom fixture fabrication in-house to rapidly adapt components on the fly.
- Elevate Build Standards: Apply your hands-on experience to improve our assembly workflows, suggest design-for-manufacturability tweaks, and raise the overall standard of how we build and care for our hardware.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner directly with quantum scientists, mechanical engineers, and electrical engineers to assemble, test, and iteratively improve hardware concepts.
Ideally you'll have:
- Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) Systems: Prior experience assembling or maintaining vacuum hardware, UHV-clean assembly protocols, bake-outs, or helium leak detection.
- Optics & Laser Lab Experience: Hands-on familiarity working in optics or laser laboratory environments (e.g., handling optics, fibres, or basic laser safety protocols).
- R&D & Scientific Collaboration: Experience working in an academic or industrial research environment, with a proven ability to communicate effectively and collaborate side-by-side with scientists and research physicists.