Mechanical Engineer – Early Stage Product Development (Medical Devices)

Apply Here

Position Overview

StarFish Medical partners with innovators to develop breakthrough medical technologies. Our Irvine team is looking for a mechanical engineer who excels in early-stage product development, someone who enjoys transforming ambiguous ideas into functioning prototypes through rapid iteration, clever mechanisms, hands-on experimentation, and thoughtful engineering.

If you thrive on concept ideation, feasibility testing, prototyping, and architecting systems from the ground up, this role is designed for you.

You will collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary team to explore design options, evaluate technical feasibility, and develop first-generation hardware that lays the foundation for subsequent product development phases.

Apply Here

Location

StarFish Medical – Irvine, CA (On-Site)

Why You’ll Love It Here

At the Irvine site, you’ll join a small, high-energy team that values ingenuity, curiosity, and practical problem solving. You’ll work in a creative environment where your early-stage engineering skills directly impact breakthrough medical technologies.

Why This Role Is Different

You will spend most of your time:

  • Generating concepts and architectures
  • Building and iterating early prototypes
  • Solving novel, open-ended mechanical problems
  • Running benchtop experiments to drive design decisions
  • Exploring methods, mechanisms, and materials using proof-of-principle models

If you enjoy the front end of innovation, you’ll feel at home here.

What You’ll Do

  • Define and refine mechanical requirements through technical investigation and early feasibility work
  • Lead concept development, mechanism ideation, and architecture-level design
  • Build benchtop prototypes quickly using CNC machining, sheet metal, 3D printing, compression molding, laser cutting, and other creative fabrication approaches
  • Conduct feasibility tests, characterize performance, and propose design directions based on experimental evidence
  • Evaluate materials, mechanical approaches, and design trade-offs early in the product lifecycle
  • Communicate design intent through sketches, block diagrams, models, and quick CAD concepts
  • Follow best practices to create robust 3D models and drawings in SolidWorks for early prototypes, assemblies, and evolving system architectures
  • Maintain revision control of 3D models and drawings using SolidWorks PDM
  • Transition successful early concepts into structured development for later-stage refinement
  • Collaborate with electrical, firmware, software, human factors, and industrial design teams during concept exploration and development
  • Work with vendors to produce prototypes and custom components, and to evaluate manufacturability

What You Bring

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
  • 5 to 8 years or more of hands-on mechanical product development experience, including significant early-stage work
  • Strong proficiency in mechanism design, prototyping, and engineering fundamentals
  • Demonstrated ability to solve open-ended technical problems with incomplete information
  • Excellent CAD skills (SolidWorks) applied to conceptual and early-stage design
  • Breadth of experience with common manufacturing processes such as CNC machining, sheet metal, injection molding, etc. and experience designing parts to be made using these processes
  • Comfortable communicating evolving design concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience working on complex electromechanical or mechatronic systems
  • Hands-on experimentation background (physics, systems modelling, benchtop testing)
  • Exposure to regulated development (FDA, ISO 13485, ISO 9001, AS9100, etc.)
  • Consulting experience or work on multiple varied product categories
  • Experience with FEA for feasibility studies (structural, thermal, or fluid)

Salary

  • Base Salary: USD 110,000 – 160,000 annually
  • Base salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.
  • Annual variable compensation: Target of 5 -10% of base salary, tied to goal achievement
  • Additional Compensation: Employees are eligible for a profit-sharing program

Benefits of working at StarFish Medical:

Becoming a part of a group of passionate individuals striving to make a meaningful impact, combined with:

  • Make a meaningful impact through life-changing medical technologies
  • Excellent benefits package for you and your family
  • Profit-sharing program
  • Monthly all-hands meetings and an open communication culture
  • Active social committee with events during work and outside hours. Some for individuals, some for families
  • 401(k) participation
  • Vacation and sick days

Why Join Us?

At our Irvine location, you’ll join a close-knit team that values initiative, curiosity, and pride in creating and maintaining an outstanding workspace. We’d love to hear from you, especially if you’re curious, hands-on and thrive in mechanism design, concept development, and early-stage engineering!

Don’t meet every single requirement?
Studies show that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every qualification. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply—you may be just the right fit.

StarFish Medical is an equal opportunity employer.
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We provide reasonable accommodations upon request throughout the hiring process.