Head of Engineering

Meet Life Sciences; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity potential

Comprehensive benefits

Flexible work policies

Job summary

A confidential healthcare technology company in San Diego is seeking a Senior Engineering Leader to guide the development of a novel regulated product platform. This role involves technical ownership, people leadership, and hands-on problem solving within a collaborative R&D environment. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in regulated product development, a strong foundation in mechanical system design, and a proven track record in leading high-impact engineering teams. A competitive compensation package with equity potential and flexible work policies is offered.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in regulated product development, preferably in biomedical systems.
• Demonstrated success in leading product development from concept to commercialization.
• Strong foundation in mechanical systems and manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities

• Own engineering direction and execution for product development.
• Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing engineering team.
• Drive innovation initiatives and represent engineering in external collaborations.

Skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Mechanical system design

Communication

Decision-making

Education

Advanced degree in engineering

Tools

Modeling and simulation tools

Prototyping tools

Job description

Senior Engineering Leader — Advanced Medical Systems (Confidential)

A confidential, innovation-driven healthcare technology company is seeking a senior engineering leader to guide development of a novel regulated product platform. This role combines technical ownership, people leadership, and hands-on problem solving in a highly collaborative R&D environment.

The successful candidate will be responsible for engineering strategy, product architecture, design execution, and cross-functional integration, partnering closely with research, product, quality, and regulatory teams to move complex systems from concept through validation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical & Strategic Leadership

• Own engineering direction and execution for a multi-disciplinary product development program
• Define technical roadmaps, resourcing plans, and milestone-driven execution strategies
• Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing engineering team
• Drive innovation initiatives, IP generation, and long-term technical planning
• Represent engineering in external collaborations and strategic initiatives
• Oversee system architecture, subsystem design, and engineering tradeoffs across mechanical and physical components
• Lead design, modeling, simulation, prototyping, and validation efforts
• Establish engineering requirements, performance specifications, and verification strategies
• Ensure robust documentation, traceability, and design rigor throughout the development lifecycle
• Manage engineering lab operations, tooling, and infrastructure
• Partner cross-functionally to support human-centered, usability-informed design principles
• Guide test strategy development, including laboratory and experimental validation programs
• Lead risk management activities, hazard analysis, and structured design reviews
• Partner with quality and regulatory stakeholders to ensure alignment with applicable standards and regulatory frameworks
• Ensure product performance meets safety, reliability, and quality expectations

REQUIRED BACKGROUND

• Advanced degree in engineering or related technical discipline
• 10+ years of experience in regulated product development, ideally within complex electromechanical or biomedical systems
• Demonstrated success leading early-stage development through scale-up or commercialization
• Experience operating in fast-paced, resource-constrained, or startup environments preferred
• Track record of building and leading high-impact engineering teams

TECHNICAL & LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES

• Strong foundation in mechanical system design, materials, and manufacturing processes
• Experience with modeling, simulation, and analytical engineering tools
• Hands-on experience with prototyping, testing, and iterative design cycles
• Familiarity with regulated product development processes and quality systems
• Exceptional communication, leadership, prioritization, and decision-making skills
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous environments with evolving requirements
• Passion for building technology that improves patient or user outcomes

WORK ENVIRONMENT

You will join a small, highly technical team working on a complex, first-of-its-kind product with meaningful real-world impact. The organization values ownership, execution speed, intellectual honesty, and cross-functional collaboration.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

A competitive compensation package is offered, including equity potential, comprehensive benefits, and flexible work policies aligned with company needs.