Co-op Placements
Join our team and help create revolutionary medical devices
StarFish is a product development consultancy focused on medical devices and laboratory test equipment. A number of our devices are complex electro-mechanical systems, requiring our engineers and designers to work closely together in order to develop these systems. Incorporated into our devices is a wide variety of technologies and applications.
Please visit the Careers page of our website to find an up-to-date list of all our current opportunities, including Co-Ops. If the job you are interested in is not posted there, it means we are not currently hiring for that position. Please check back soon. Read on to find answers to the most FAQs about applying for a co-op at StarFish Medical.
StarFish Medical hires co-op students in both our Victoria, BC and Toronto, ON offices. If you are interested in working at StarFish for an upcoming work term, you can see a list of our open co-op positions here.
Currently, StarFish Medical has no strict deadline for co-op applications. However, we strongly suggest applying 3-4 months in advance of your desired co-op term. Mechanical and Electrical co-op positions are posted at the start of the first month of the preceding semester and closed by the end of the same month (i.e. May for the Fall semester, September for the Winter semester and January for the Summer semester). Manufacturing and Industrial Design co-op positions are typically filled 2 months in advance; for example, March for a May start date.
You may not. Only successful candidates will be contacted for an interview within 2- 4 weeks of their application.
Our typical co-op term is 4 months. On a case-by-case basis, 8-month co-op positions have been made available.
StarFish Medical encourages all interested and qualified candidates to apply. Preference may be given to those in their 3rd or 4th year of a degree program (ME, EE, ID) or in an accredited Technologist program (MFG).
We check with universities/schools to ensure our pay is in line with current co-op pay ranges. The hourly rates are adjusted periodically to keep up with the market.
Where do you fit in?
We believe in good people and we may hire a great fit even if we don’t have an opening today. We look for co-op students in the following areas:
Biomedical Assembly Tech Co-op
The StarFish Medical Manufacturing department specializes in low to medium volume production of electromechanical medical devices. As a full service medical device manufacturer, we also pilot production for new product introduction for higher volumes. We have manufactured medical devices for sale in North America, Europe and Asia.
We are looking for an eager ME, EE, Biomedical or related Technologist/Engineering program co-op student to join our growing manufacturing team in Victoria. The ideal candidate will have experience following detailed instructions and performing hands on tasks. We have multiple exciting projects where you will have the opportunity to work on electromechanical projects including specialized optics, and novel radio frequency devices.
Industrial Design Co-op
The StarFish Medical Industrial Design and Human Factors team is opening its door to Industrial Design co-op student applications. . We are looking forward to helping you learn and grow while assisting in the real world design and development of some potentially life-saving medical devices. Would you like to be part of an innovative, user-centered design team working on real-world projects that have an impact on the quality of lives? If so, please submit a recent portfolio and resume.
Reporting to the Industrial Design and Human Factors Manager, the Industrial Design Co-op role requires sketching and ideation skills, experience with Solidworks and Adobe Suite, good problem solving skills and understanding of the design process, general understanding of manufacturing technologies and materials, good understanding of user-centric design approach, understanding in UX development and great intrapersonal skills. Ideally located in Toronto.
Mechanical Engineering Co-op
The Mechanical Engineering department is where everything comes together. We conceptualize, research, design, procure, and test mechanisms, structural parts, packages, and assemblies for a variety of medical devices by choosing the right geometry, material, finish and process. We also offer opportunities to engineer thermodynamic, fluidic, optical, and ultrasonic solutions and high precision parts.
Every semester we hire a student in our 18-person Mechanical Engineering department for what is typically, but not always, a 4-month term. The position is open for any students or recent graduate in a relevant undergraduate degree – preferably Mechanical Engineering or Biomechanical Engineering – who have an inquisitive nature and want to focus on product design. The ideal student is able to juggle three or more projects, is skilled in documentation, is capable with SolidWorks, can prioritize their time independently, and will work from team and client inputs all while keeping the end goal in mind. Do you love to build things? Are you the kind of person who needs to know how stuff works? Do you look for better ways to improve patient outcomes? If so, apply with us – we’d love to have you.
Please apply when you see a posting for a ME Co-op role on our Careers page. Positions are posted at the start of the first month of the preceding semester and closed by the end of the same month (i.e. May for the Fall semester, September for the Winter semester and January for the Summer semester).
Electrical Engineering Co-Op
In the Electrical Engineering team, we routinely design sophisticated electro-mechanical devices ranging from tiny microcontrolled implants to large computed tomography systems; from wellness and diagnostic devices to life-supporting equipment. We design all our boards in house, from flexi-rigid up to multilayer, high density designs. We’re solving problems that have not yet been solved. We’re usually starting from a blank white board.
Our EE team is comprised of 14 talented individuals spanning from early career to seasoned engineers with 30+ years of experience in electronic design & development. We typically hire multiple co-op students per semester.
As a co-op, expect to spin one or more PCBs during your term, from schematic all the way to bench testing. In addition, you will be assisting our engineers in complex designs through task such as: electronic parts selection, circuit analysis & simulation, schematic capture, PCB layout, functional testing and troubleshooting. We’ll support you through these tasks so you gain an improved understanding of what’s really important in electronic design.
As our ideal co-op candidate you are in third or fourth year of an Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, or Biomedical Engineering program and already have a growing portfolio of PCB designs. You live and breathe for electronic design and are curious and eager to learn new technologies. You have a solid understanding of first principles and a drive to dig deeper to solve the right problems. If this sounds like you, don’t hesitate to apply when you see a posting for an EE Co-op on our Careers page. Positions are posted at the start of the first month of the preceding semester and closed by the end of the same month (i.e. May for the Fall semester, September for the Winter semester and January for the Summer semester).