Mechanical Engineer, Surgery & Robotics

Team Description:

The Surgery & Robotics Hardware Team is looking for Mechanical Engineers who want to advance the future of healthcare solutions with technology. At Neuralink we recognize that increasing healthcare costs, lack of access, and insufficient numbers of neurosurgeons globally require new approaches to enable greater access to our devices. To address these challenges we design fully autonomous robotics systems, human assistive surgical tools, and design entire surgical suites in order to provide better experiences for our customers.

Our team works on our surgical robot system which aims to fully automate the implantation of the Neuralink implant. We design and integrate multi-axis robotic arms, perception systems including custom imaging hardware, optical coherence tomography tissue imaging, power electronics, and safety systems such as 3D spatial mapping/object avoidance sensors. Robotics is part of a larger system of tools we work on. For example, using pre-op MRI scans we generate patient anatomy data that we later use in surgery to register precise surgery site locations.

In addition to research and development of modern surgical technology, we also are responsible for bringing these technologies to market. We perform full lifecycle testing for all devices we design and ultimately manufacture them for use in human surgeries. To date, our designs have served over 20 individuals, and in the coming years our designs will serve thousands of individuals who wish to use our implant technology.

Job Description and Responsibilities:

As a Mechanical Engineer on the Robot Hardware Team, you will design and scale complex mechanical assemblies. You will utilize creative design and out-of-the-box thinking while navigating requirements pertaining to extremely high precision, sterility, biocompatibility, manufacturability and more. You will work closely with Neurosurgeons, OR staff, manufacturing teams, suppliers, and other engineers to deliver a critical part of a system poised to change the lives of many. Among other things, your responsibilities will include:

• Designing, developing, validating, and shipping complex mechanical assemblies and actuators for surgical robots
• Rapidly and effectively building systems to meet project goals
• Applying analytical methods, including calculations and simulations, for the design and optimization of actuators and structures.
• Conducting FMEAs, user testing, and more to make the safest product possible
• Working with QA and Test teams to define release criteria, verification and validation tests, and more

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years of mechanical engineering industry experience, including internships and project teams where you owned products from concept to production
• Strong understanding of engineering first principles
• Bachelor’s degree in science or engineering, or equivalent experience and ability

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience designing space-constrained multi-DoF actuated devices
• Experience designing with sensing devices (optical, strain, RFID, etc)
• Experience scaling designs from low to mid volume production
• Proficiency with conventional machining and rapid prototyping technologies