Petal Surgical, Inc. Associate R&D Engineer (Acoustics, Therapy) Redwood City, CA · Full time Company website

Apply for Associate R&D Engineer (Acoustics, Therapy)

[This posting is for candidate use only. No recruiters or staffing agencies. Unsolicited submissions will not be accepted or compensated.] For centuries now, surgery has been about invasive and painful manipulation of tissue with one or more tools. Even the most recent advances in the field have not been able to break this fundamental constraint. We are changing that. At Petal, we are on a mission to make incisionless surgery the standard of interventional care, for everyone, everywhere.

Responsibilities

Help turn new concepts into high‑fidelity prototypes and robust experimental workflows:

• Perform measurements and test setups for therapy systems and experimental rigs (approximately 50% of time), including instrument configuration, data collection, and basic analysis.
• Execute and improve documentation and design control artifacts (approximately 30%), including test plans, reports, calibration logs, experimental records, and work instructions.
• Support ex vivo experiments (approximately 15%), including setup of hardware, sample preparation, running procedures, and recording results.
• Occasionally design simple fixtures, carts, and tools for measurement and experiments (approximately 5%), including basic CAD modeling and 3D printing.
• Work closely with senior engineers to support existing and in‑development designs, helping build, integrate, and characterize components and subsystems used for acoustic therapy delivery.
• Own small, well‑scoped design tasks (e.g., measurement fixtures, experimental tooling) from concept through prototyping, test, and documentation.
• Follow established procedures and test methods initially, then contribute to improving and authoring new procedures as your experience grows.
• Maintain good laboratory practices, including careful configuration of lab instruments, proper data management, and adherence to safety and quality expectations.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary team (mechanical, electrical, biomedical, and clinical) while keeping company objectives moving forward.
• Demonstrate a “get things done” attitude, readiness to learn new domains (acoustics, ex vivo workflows, design controls), and the ability to recognize when an approach isn’t working and pivot constructively.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering preferred; Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related fields also considered.
• 0–3 years of relevant experience, which may include internships, co‑ops, research projects, or early industry roles in hardware/R&D environments.
• Hands‑on experience with lab instruments (e.g., oscilloscopes, function generators, basic electrical measurement tools) and comfort working in a lab setting.
• Basic proficiency with CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar) for simple parts, fixtures, or modifications.
• Ability to write and run simple scripts in MATLAB and/or Python for data processing, plotting, and basic analysis.
• Strong attention to detail in documentation, including recording procedures, test conditions, and results in a clear, traceable way.
• Ability to work within a dynamic environment, take direction from senior engineers, and progressively assume more responsibility for small design and test activities.
• Willingness to work hands‑on with equipment, tools, and experimental setups, including ex vivo and gel phantom experiments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to acoustics, ultrasound, or vibration (through coursework, projects, or prior experience) is a strong plus, but not required.
• Experience working in a regulated environment or with design controls (e.g., medical devices, aerospace, automotive, or other safety‑critical systems).
• Familiarity with basic 3D printing workflows (model preparation, printer setup, post‑processing) for fixtures and tooling.
• Experience contributing to or improving test procedures, work instructions, or SOPs.
• Comfort working in a multidisciplinary team and communicating clearly about test results, issues, and proposed improvements.

Level

• Level: Entry / Junior
• This is an early‑career R&D engineering role with mentorship from senior engineers and clear opportunities to grow in acoustic therapy system development, experimental design, and design controls.