Manufacturing Engineer, Robot

Capstan medical is Series C funded company aiming to commercial a robotic platform for delivering structural heart implants. We focus on cultivating cutting edge technology centered on patient value. Our team is highly collaborative and hands-on, takes pride in iterating quickly, and believes that the best ideas can come from anywhere or any person! We always have multiple programs in the pipeline, so as a small team, we tend to wear multiple hats on a daily basis.

Capstan medical is uniquely positioned in Santa Cruz, which we have chosen to be geographically close-to but intentionally separate from the greater SF Bay Area. This gives us access to the amazing technical talent of the bay area but in an environment that we feel is conducive to doing our best creative work. Our office is located in a repurposed warehouse space that used to be the Wrigley Gum factory, now the funky/diverse home to several bicycle companies, many art and architecture studios, a maker space, and several biotech startups. It is adjacent to large tracts of open space with bicycle trails straight from the office doors offering access to the hills and beaches of Wilder Ranch State Park for road/mountain bicycle riding, hiking, and surfing.

Currently, our active programs at Capstan medical target catheter-based, repair devices for diseases that affect the heart. These kinds of devices present patients with compelling, minimally invasive alternatives to traditional surgical methods. For most patients, this means less pain after surgery and being able to return to normal life much more quickly. For many older patients, reducing surgical trauma can make the difference between life and death. Our current strength is in micro-scale mechanical medical devices on the cutting edge of medicine but we are constantly evolving. The team has a collective background designing a wide variety of medical devices including cardiac devices, catheter-based devices, collapsible implants, surgical tools and robotic systems.

Come join us and become part of a team revolutionizing heart valve treatment!

The role:

As a Manufacturing Engineer – Robot, you will support the build, test, and continuous improvement of Capstan’s robotic system across all phases of manufacturing – from sub-assemblies (eg. actuator stack) through full system integration. This is a hands-on, onsite role ideal for an early-career engineer who thrives in troubleshooting complex electro-mechanical systems and learning by doing.

You will work closely with senior manufacturing engineers and cross functional partners to debug issues on the manufacturing line, execute testing, analyze build and test data, and document non-conformances. Over time, you will grow your ability to independently investigate failures, improve processes, and contribute to scalable manufacturing solutions for our novel surgical robotic platform.

If you are eager to use your mechanical, electrical and software superpowers to make a difference, come join us!

Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities:

● Troubleshoot and debug complex failures across actuator stacks, brakes, sensors, PCBs, power, and motion modules

● Perform root cause investigations using structured methods (5 Whys, DMAIC, Fishbone)

● Execute and refine end-of-line testing for robotic systems

● Support documentation and investigation of non-comformances

● Implement corrective actions in collaboration with design and quality teams

● Support qualification of fixtures

● Support the development and refinement of MPIs and test procedures

● Drive continuous improvements by tracking KPIs such as yield, reliability, and cycle time

● Analyze build/test data using scripting tools (eg. Python) to identify trends, anomalies and opportunities for improvement

● Assist with investigation of returned sub-assemblies/robots from the field

What you'll need:

● Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field

● Minimum 1-3 years of relevant experience in manufacturing engineering, system integration or reliability engineering for complex electro-mechanical products (robotics, medical devices, or similar)

● Hands-on experience assembling, testing, or debugging electro-mechanical systems (eg. PCBs, actuators, motors, sensors)

● Ability to troubleshoot across mechanical, electrical and software interfaces

● Strong scripting and data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, or similar)

● Experience with CAD (SolidWorks or similar) for fixture/tooling design

● Demonstrated success leading root cause investigations and implementing design/process fixes

● Strong attention to detail and comfort working in a fast-paced, hands-on environment

● Comfortable collaborating with engineers, technicians and cross-functional teams

● Excellent communication and documentation skills

● Hands-on mindset with a passion for building and improving real hardware

● Eagerness to learn and push the envelope to bring a novel surgical robotic platform to market

● Familiarity with medical device regulations (eg. ISO 13485) preferred

Why join us:

● We offer a fun, fast-paced, collaborative environment where you will be working on transformational technologies in the cardiac healthcare space that can make a meaningful impact for patients

● 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!