Senior R&D Engineer

Current Surgical; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Current Surgical is a startup developing a smart microinvasive needle technology for precise tumor destruction, with clinicians and co-founders guiding the program. The Senior R&D scientist will work hands-on across biophysics, imaging, electronics, ultrasound, and real-time signal processing to advance the clinical prototype.

The role involves leading benchtop and preclinical studies, collaborating with mechanical, electrical and software teams, interfacing with clinicians, and contributing to

Qualifications

• PhD in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, medical physics, or closely related fields.
• MS or BS with 4-5 years of equivalent work experience will also be considered.
• Strong hands-on engineering across biophysics, imaging, electronics and software.
• Able to lead benchtop and preclinical experiments and collaborate with clinicians.

Responsibilities

• Lead key benchtop and preclinical experiments.
• Design, develop and test our clinical prototype with cross-functional teams.
• Work with mechanical, electrical and software teams to meet clinical goals.
• Interface with clinicians and support fundraising efforts.

Skills

Entrepreneurial

Leadership

Communication

Ex vivo protocols

Medical imaging

Image processing

Deep learning

Python

Matlab

Ultrasound prototyping

Electronics design

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering

PhD in Biomedical Engineering

PhD in Computer Science

PhD in Medical Physics

MS/BS with 4-5 years experience

Tools

Verasonics

Cephasonics

3D printing

PCB design

Schematic capture

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.

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, 1517, and SciFounders) interested in dramatically improving the accuracy and accessibility of surgery.

About You

We are looking for a senior R&D scientist/engineer who is excited to develop technology at the frontier 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 biophysics, image processing, deep learning, novel electronics, ultrasound, and real‑time signal processing.

The ideal candidate is someone who is interested in working at a startup and is eager to challenge their technical development. This is a unique 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 key benchtop and preclinical experiments. It also requires a multidisciplinary approach, working with the mechanical, electrical, and software teams to achieve our fundamental clinical goals. As we grow, we envision this role growing into a leadership role. This is an ideal role for recent PhD graduates looking to accelerate their career development in industry.

Educational background

• PhD in the fields of electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, medical physics, and/or closely related fields.
• MS or BS with 4-5 years of equivalent work experience (industry or academia) will also be considered.

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)
• Experience developing and executing complex experimental protocols in ex vivo and/or in vivo settings
• General knowledge of medical imaging (e.g. ultrasound, CT, MRI) and image guided surgery
• Familiarity with basic mechanical design and rapid prototyping (e.g. 3D printing, laser cutting, etc.)
• Knowledge of Python or Matlab for processing test results and test and measurement automation
• Experience with ultrasound prototyping hardware is a plus (e.g., Verasonics, Cephasonics)
• Experience applying image processing, computer vision, and/or deep learning techniques to medical images is a plus
• Basic electronics experience (e.g. fabrication, troubleshooting, schematic capture, PCB design) is a plus