Senior Mechanical Engineer – Medical Devices
Location: Kruibeke / Antwerp Area, Belgium (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-time
Domain: Smart Medical / MedTech
Job Overview & Purpose
Are you a driven Senior Mechanical Engineer with a passion for groundbreaking medical technology? At Verhaert, you will help our clients transform complex ideas into safe, innovative, and market-ready products.
In this role, you will lead the mechanical development of advanced medical devices, surgical instruments, and packaging solutions. You will drive the entire lifecycle: from early-stage innovation and prototyping to verification, validation, and industrialization. Combining deep technical expertise with a pragmatic mindset, you will serve as a key technical anchor within our multidisciplinary team.
Key Accountabilities
1. Mechanical Design & Development
- Concept & Architecture: Design and develop (electro-)mechanical hardware for active hearing implant applications and surgical tools. Define critical questions and formulate solutions for complex mechanical challenges.
- Prototyping & CAD: Create high-quality 3D CAD models and 2D drawings (preferably using PTC Creo) with a focus on minimal iterations and optimal Design for Manufacturing (DFM).
- Engineering Analysis: Lead brainstorming, risk analysis, simulation activities, DFMEAs, and design reviews.
- Clinical & Supplier Collaboration: Work closely with surgeons, clinical partners, and suppliers to optimize designs and plan prototype builds.
- Intellectual Property: Identify novel concepts and generate patent disclosures based on development work.
2. Characterisation, Verification & Validation (V&V)
- Safety & Efficacy: Ensure product safety and performance through rigorous testing protocols, including setups using human temporal bone and cadaver material.
- Process Execution & Improvement: Execute test plans, analyze data, and continuously refine V&V processes and strategies across the organization.
3. Quality & Compliance
- Maintain precise documentation and reporting of progress in compliance with relevant internal policies, international standards (e.g., ISO 13485, MDR/FDA requirements), and team processes.
- Collaborate and influence across multiple teams to ensure high-quality project delivery.
4. Personal Impact, Project Management & Mentorship
- Work Package Ownership: Plan, monitor, and manage assigned technical work packages within time, budget, and scope, providing regular reporting on key milestones.
- Stakeholder Management: Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders to promptly resolve project issues.
- Mentorship: Coach, guide, and support junior engineers and students.
Requirements & Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Education: Master’s degree in (Electro)mechanical, Mechatronic, or Biomedical Engineering (or equivalent by experience).
- Work Experience:
- Minimum 10 years of experience in design and product development using 3D CAD.
- Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in prototyping and verification of mechanical designs.
- Domain Knowledge: Proven experience with (implanteable) medical devices is strongly preferred.
Technical & Soft Skills
- Core Technical Skills: Proficient in 2D and 3D CAD modeling (preferably PTC Creo), mechanical drawings, tolerancing, and V&V principles. Multidisciplinary technical background (e.g., electronics, acoustics, process engineering) is a major plus.
- Problem Solving: Pragmatic mindset with the ability to solve complex, non-standard engineering problems.
- Languages: Fluent in English (written and oral). Knowledge of additional EMEA languages is an advantage.
- Interpersonal Skills: Strong technical writing, interpersonal communication, and organizational skills with the ability to lead and deliver project goals through others.
What Verhaert Offers
At Verhaert, you will work in a dynamic, highly innovative environment where cutting-edge engineering meets real-world human impact.
- Impactful Projects: Contribute directly to medical technologies that significantly improve patients' quality of life.
- Multidisciplinary Team: Collaborate alongside passionate experts in mechanics, electronics, software, and industrial design.
- Growth & Continuous Learning: Access opportunities to expand your expertise, apply the latest engineering methodologies, and grow professionally.
- Autonomy & Culture: Thrive in an open culture that encourages initiative, ownership, and creative problem-solving.