Lead/Principal Mechanical Engineer

Current Surgical; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Current Surgical is a bold startup in San Francisco seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to drive the design, development, and testing of a clinical prototype. You will lead a hands-on engineering effort integrating precision mechanics, MEMS electronics, microfluidics, and ultrasound physics to advance a first-in-human device.

The role evolves into broader leadership as the company grows, with responsibilities spanning preclinical studies, clinician collaboration, and fundraising support.

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in mechanical engineering or closely related fields.
• 5–10 years of work experience in regulated product development is a plus.
• Strong hands-on design, testing, and iteration skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a startup or biomedical setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead the product development from concept to prototype and testing.
• Collaborate with clinicians and engineers across disciplines.
• Balance clinical requirements with engineering feasibility and timelines.
• Contribute to preclinical studies and fundraising discussions.

Skills

Leadership

Mechanical design

CAD tools

FEM analysis

MEMS experience

Ultrasound physics

Data analysis

Python

Education

BS/MS/PhD in mechanical engineering or related fields

Tools

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

Job description

About Current Surgical Inc.

Current Surgical is a startup company developing technology on the frontier of engineering and biology. Our first product is a smart microinvasive needle that precisely destroys tumors without damaging healthy tissue, allowing doctors to treat cancers that are untreatable today.

About Current Surgical Inc.

Current Surgical is a startup company developing technology on the frontier of engineering and biology. Our first product is a smart microinvasive needle that precisely destroys tumors without damaging healthy tissue, allowing doctors to treat cancers that are untreatable today.

Our technology is backed by the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and top tier venture capital firms (True Ventures, Draper, 1517, and SciFounders) interested in dramatically improving the accuracy and accessibility of surgery.

About You

We are looking for a lead mechanical engineer who is excited to develop technology at the forefront of medical devices and precision surgery. You will work directly with the co-founders to design, develop, and test our clinical prototype. This is a difficult hands-on engineering challenge that integrates precision mechanics, novel MEMS electronics, microfluidics, and ultrasound physics.

The ideal candidate is someone who is excited to develop technology at the frontier of medical devices and precision surgery, eager to challenge both their technical and leadership skills in a high-growth startup environment. This is a unique opportunity, as one of the early senior employees, you will have the opportunity to work across many areas of a hardtech biomedical startup, including preclinical studies, interfacing with clinicians, and fundraising. We are expecting you to lead the product development, which at this stage requires trading off clinical requirements and engineering needs. As we grow, we envision this role growing into a leadership role (e.g. VP of Engineering).

Educational background

• BS/MS/PhD in mechanical engineering or closely related fields (e.g. biomedical engineering, mechatronics, robotics, experimental physics).
• 5-10 years work experience (regulated product development is a plus)

Desired Skills

• Entrepreneurial, self-motivated, and independent; desire to grow into a leadership role
• Excellent technical and analytical capability, coupled with strong written and verbal communication skills
• High level of emotional intelligence and ability to build and manage diverse relationships (including clinical collaborators)
• Extensive experience with a range of fabrication approaches and their tradeoffs, with different materials (metal, polymers, ceramics, etc.)
• Significant experience with CAD tools (e.g., Solidworks, Fusion 360)
• Experience leading mechanical fabrication lifecycle (design, review, manufacturing partner selection, sign-off, part inspection and review)
• Experience with high precision, high tolerance designs and approaches
• Experience with complex system integrations (electrical, mechanical, fluid management)
• Basic data analysis experience with Matlab and/or Python
• Mechanical FEM modeling experience is a plus