Senior R&D Mechanical Engineer, Robotics

Capstan Medical; Santa Cruz (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Flexible time off

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

Capstan Medical is building a novel robotic platform for minimally invasive heart valve treatment. We seek a mechanical engineer to take a mechanical system from concept to production, collaborating with manufacturing and clinical teams in a hybrid Santa Cruz setting.

You will own design deliverables, participate in prototype builds, and contribute to design reviews, documentation, and regulatory readiness. 4 days on-site per week in Santa Cruz, with a fast-paced, hands-on team culture.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of relevant medical device experience preferred.
• Experience with design for manufacturability and rapid iteration.
• Familiarity with design control, verification, and regulatory processes.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical design from concept to product for the robotic platform.
• On-site prototyping and system bring-up in the pre-clinical lab.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and clinical teams to iterate designs.
• Document learnings and contribute to design reviews and release documents.
• Identify gaps and help ensure goals and milestones are met.
• Work in a hybrid environment, onsite in Santa Cruz about 4 days/week.

Skills

Design for manufacturability

Prototype hardware development

Cross-functional collaboration

Design validation and testing

Education

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Equivalent work experience

Job description

Reports to: Managing Principle Mechanical Engineer, R&D

Workplace Type: Hybrid, on-site in Santa Cruz an average of 4-days per week

At Capstan Medical, we're building one of the most exciting and innovative companies in medtech - developing a first-of-its-kind robotic platform for minimally invasive heart valve treatment. Our team combines surgical robotics, catheter-based delivery, and next-generation implants to transform complex procedures into safer, lower-stress solutions for patients and clinicians alike. As a highly collaborative, hands-on team, we move fast, wear multiple hats, and believe the best ideas can come from anyone.

Based in Santa Cruz, our unique workspace blends cutting-edge Bay Area innovation with a lifestyle-driven environment near trails, beaches, and open space - creating the perfect place to do meaningful, career-defining work.

The Opportunity:

We are building a novel medical robotic application, bringing together an exciting set of hardware and software into an elegant product. We are looking for someone who can take a mechanical system of the robot design from initial concept all the way to product.

What You'll Do:

• Collaborate with manufacturing and clinical for feedback on designs, incorporating this feedback into quick and effective design iterations. Be responsible for all things mechanical, owning all deliverables and milestones
• On-site participation in building and bringing up prototype robotic systems and support in their pre-clinical lab use, supporting all things mechanical
• Align individual work to best support company goals. Identifying high risk items and being part of developing solutions
• Document and communicate learnings on design manufacturability and reliability to the broader hardware team
• Document and communicate your work through design reviews and as appropriate released documents as part of the product development process
• Identify gaps and pitch in as needed to ensure that the team meets their goals and objectives

What You'll Need:

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline, or equivalent work experience
• Expecting 5+ years of relevant experience (medical device experience preferred)
• Comfortable working with high levels of ambiguity and an ability to convert that into tangible outcomes
• Experience with designing, manufacturing transfer, and shipping of medical device capital equipment or equivalent complexity systems
• Experience with medical device (or equivalent) development process, design control, design verification, and regulatory processes
• Ability to work in a hybrid work environment, working onsite in Santa Cruz on average 4 days a week

Why Join Us:

• We offer a fun, fast-paced, collaborative environment where you will be working on transformational technologies in the cardiac healthcare space
• We offer outstanding benefits with medical, dental, and vision covered at 100% for you and your family, as well as flex time off
• We thrive in our work-hard, play-hard environment. Bring your bike or running shoes if you'd like or just be ready to enjoy a fun office outing. We enjoy time inside the office and out!

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, and disability, or other legally protected status.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.