Sr/Staff Manufacturing Engineer, Robot Productization

Lever, Inc.; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Lever, Inc. is seeking a seasoned manufacturing engineer to lead the productization of robotic subsystems.

You will drive development into scalable production, define fixtures, special processes, and documentation, and collaborate with R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing to keep builds on schedule. You will mentor engineers, work hands-on on fixtures and tooling, and ensure robust processes for a first-of-its-kind surgical robot.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience for Senior, or 10+ years for Staff.
• Proven track record bringing complex electro-mechanical systems from development into production.
• Hands-on experience with special processes (bonding, welding, crimping).
• Experience designing fixtures and tooling with CAD.

Responsibilities

• Lead the productization of robotic subsystems from early builds through pre-DV, DV, and clinical builds.
• Plan build readiness: documentation, fixtures, materials, line setup, and training.
• Develop and qualify special processes (bonding, welding, press fits, crimping).
• Create manufacturing documentation and release procedures (MPIs, DHRs, inspections).
• Define line layout, process flow, cycle time, and staffing for new products.
• Lead root-cause investigations and drive fixes across mechanical, electrical, and software domains.
• Mentor engineers and technicians on process improvements and documentation.

Skills

Robotics manufacturing

DFM/DFX

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Documentation skills

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering or Mechatronics

Tools

CAD (SolidWorks)

DOE / PFMEA

Statistical methods

Job description

There is no playbook for what we're building. Capstan is bringing a first-of-its-kind surgical robot to patients, and the processes to build it reliably at scale don't exist yet - you'll help create them. This isn't sustaining a mature product on a settled line. You'll join a newly formed team that works hand in hand with R&D owning the productization elements of the design. In this role, you'll lead the productization of new robotic subsystems - from early engineering builds, through a series of pre-DV builds, to DV and clinical production. You'll develop the build and test processes, special processes, fixtures, and documentation that turn a design into a repeatable product, and you'll use each build to find and close gaps before they reach the line. You'll thrive here if you've brought complex electro-mechanical systems into production before, love being on the floor with the hardware, and want to shape how a novel robot is built from day one. If you're a driver who seeks out issues, converges the team on solutions, and excels at pushing projects across the finish line in a growth-stage company, this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the productization of new robotic subsystems, partnering with R&D from early engineering builds through pre-DV, DV, and clinical builds
• Own the path from design to product - drive open issues, decisions, and actions to closure across R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing, and escalation risks early to keep builds on schedule
• Plan and drive build readiness for each development build - documentation, fixtures, materials, equipment, line setup, and training - and use each build to find and close gaps before the next
• Develop and characterize special processes (eg. adhesive bonding and curing, welding, press fits, crimping), including surrogate testing and DOEs
• Create and mature manufacturing documentation, including MPIs, DHRs, and in-process inspection points, from redline drafts to released procedures
• Design, qualify, and release assembly fixtures, tooling, and equipment, and define calibration and preventive maintenance needs
• Provide DFM/DFA feedback early in development, including error-proofing (poka-yoke) features, to make designs easier to build, test, and service
• Define line layout, process flow, cycle time, and staffing needs for new products, including facility, utility, safety, and environmental requirements
• Make make-vs-buy decisions for processes and partner with suppliers on outsourced processes and critical components
• Establish traceability and serialization for assemblies and components, and firmware/software versions
• Own process risk management (PFMEA) and drive process capability (Cpk) and process validation plans with Quality
• Partner with manufacturing software engineers to integrate test, calibration, and firmware loading into the build flow
• Lead troubleshooting and root cause investigations (5 Whys, Fishbone, DMAIC) on build issues across mechanical, electrical, and software domains
• Mentor engineers and technicians, and incorporate technician feedback into processes and documentation

What you'll need:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• Minimum 7 years of manufacturing engineering experience for Senior, or 10+ years for Staff (a Master's degree can offset years of experience)
• Proven track record bringing complex electro-mechanical systems from development into production (robotics, medical capital equipment, or similar)
• Hands-on experience developing special processes (eg. bonding, welding, press fits, crimping)
• Experience designing and qualifying fixtures and tooling using CAD (SolidWorks or similar)
• Working knowledge of process controls and statistics (DOE, Cpk, Gage R&R) and process risk tools (PFMEA)
• Demonstrated success leading root cause investigations and implementing design and process fixes
• Experience working in a regulated environment (eg. ISO 13485, 21 CFR 820)
• Excellent communication and documentation skills, and comfortable leading cross-functional teams
• Strong project leadership: able to plan, drive, and close cross-functional work without formal authority
• Hands-on, detail-oriented, and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Eagerness to learn and push the envelope to bring a novel surgical robotic platform to market

Preferred:

• Experience in an early-stage company or on a first-generation product, standing up processes, lines, and documentation from scratch
• Mechatronics background: comfortable reading electro-mechanical schematics and debugging integrated mechanical, electrical, and software systems
• Experience with motors, encoders, brakes, sensors, and motion control assemblies
• Scripting and data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, or similar)
• Experience with supplier qualification, outsourced special processes, and first article inspection
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and line design