Full-Time

Product Quality Engineer

Robot

Capstan Medical

Capstan Medical

51-200 employees

Catheter-based heart valve replacement via robotics

No salary listed

Santa Cruz, CA, USA

In Person

Category
QA & Testing (1)
Required Skills
Six Sigma
Metrology
FDA Regulations
Risk Management

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Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field
  • Master's degree is a plus
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in a manufacturing quality engineering role within the medical device industry supporting electromechanical capital devices
  • In-depth knowledge of FDA regulations, ISO 13485, IEC 60601-1, and other relevant quality and safety standards for robotic medical devices
  • Experience with nonconforming material investigations and implementing effective CAPAs
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
Responsibilities
  • Oversee product quality during all stages of production and field service
  • Ensure compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) regulations and internal quality management systems throughout the manufacturing process
  • Lead and support investigations into nonconforming materials and products (NCRs), working closely with cross-functional teams including Manufacturing and Engineering, identifying root causes, ensuring timely resolution, and implementing effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) to prevent recurrence
  • Conduct Material Review Board and participate in materials decision making
  • Establish, implement, and support processes for field service and rework of robotic medical devices
  • Maintain Device History Records for robotic medical devices
  • Support creation of risk management files, including the development of Process FMEA
  • Lead and support process validation activities, including IQ/OQ/PQ (Installation Qualification/Operational Qualification/Performance Qualification), for new and existing manufacturing processes
  • Develop validation protocols, execute validation activities, and compile validation reports to ensure process robustness and consistency
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Manufacturing and Engineering, to resolve quality issues and identify opportunities for process improvement and efficiency gains within the manufacturing environment
  • Perform audits of manufacturing processes, including inspections, testing, and documentation, to identify areas for improvement and ensure adherence to quality standards
  • Implement Lean and Six Sigma principles to drive continuous improvement initiatives
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure that design, manufacturing, and standards-based test requirements are met
  • Provide guidance on processes and validations to ensure product safety and compliance
  • Oversee packaging validation activities to ensure product integrity and stability during storage and transportation
  • Participate in finished goods release processes, ensuring compliance with release criteria and applicable regulatory requirements
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation related to quality control processes, inspection results, metrology records, nonconformance reports, and corrective actions
  • Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory requirements, such as FDA QSR and ISO 13485 standards
  • Support internal and external audits, including preparation of documentation, participation in audits, and implementation of audit findings
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience supporting development and manufacturing of surgical robotic devices
  • Certifications such as Six Sigma and ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Quality Auditor (CQA)
  • Familiarity with process validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), electrical safety testing, and packaging requirements for medical devices
  • Strong understanding of GMP regulations and quality management systems
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to apply root cause analysis methodologies
  • Detail-oriented with effective organizational and documentation skills
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills to work cross-functionally and interact with technicians, engineers, auditors, and third parties
  • Attention to detail, with a focus on accuracy and precision in quality-related activities

Capstan Medical develops catheter-based heart valve replacement solutions that use surgical robotics to guide valve implants through small blood vessels, avoiding open-heart surgery. Its system combines implants, delivery catheters, and robotic navigation to treat mitral and tricuspid valve disease with minimally invasive methods. The company differentiates itself by integrating robotic guidance with catheter delivery and by pursuing less invasive replacements for structural heart disease, evidenced by the world’s first robotic-catheter mitral valve replacement in humans. Its goal is to provide safer, quicker-recovery treatments for patients with valve disease.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series C

Total Funding

$141.4M

Headquarters

Santa Cruz, California

Founded

2020

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Series C funding of $110M in December 2024 accelerates clinical trials and R&D expansion.
  • First-In-Human TMVR trial started February 2025 with recruiting in Australia, Chile, and New Zealand.
  • Team includes 75+ experts from Intuitive Surgical, Boston Scientific, and Abbott with decades of robotics experience.

What critics are saying

  • FDA Class III approval requires 10+ implants across 4 sites before 2027; only 2 human cases exist as of March 2025.
  • Medtronic's dominant market share and robotics portfolio enable rapid competitive response, threatening Capstan's FDA pathway.
  • Single supplier Admedes for nitinol implants creates supply chain failure risk if quality control fails during scaling.

What makes Capstan Medical unique

  • Capstan Medical combines surgical robotics, catheter implants, and robotic navigation for heart valve replacement.
  • It delivered the world's first robotic-catheter mitral valve replacements in human patients in March 2025.
  • The platform targets both mitral and tricuspid valve disease with a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

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Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-3%

1 year growth

3%

2 year growth

28%
VNTR
Feb 21st, 2026
Pharma giants return to the M&A table: what $38B in biotech exits signals.

Pharma giants return to the M&A table: what $38B in biotech exits signals. February 21, 2026 Roughly $38 billion in announced and completed biotech M&A across 2024 and early 2025 marks one of the strongest acquisition cycles since the pre-pandemic boom, even as AI absorbs most of the market's mindshare. While capital continues to chase foundational AI models and infrastructure, large pharmaceutical companies are quietly reasserting themselves as the most reliable source of liquidity for life sciences investors. The contrast is sharp: public enthusiasm has shifted to compute and chips, but strategic buyers in biotech are writing substantial checks for assets that show clinical maturity and clear paths to differentiation. Several transactions underscore the scale and seriousness of this renewed activity. Eli Lilly's $2.4 billion acquisition of Orna demonstrated major pharma's willingness to pay premium valuations for emerging in vivo technology platforms rather than wait for later-stage de-risking. AbbVie reinforced the trend with its $2.1 billion purchase of Capstan, a move that signals continued appetite for next-generation delivery systems capable of supporting pipeline expansion. Both deals highlight a pattern: strategic acquirers are targeting platforms with clinical validation and enough optionality to influence multi-year R&D planning. The most significant transaction in the recent wave came from Johnson & Johnson, which executed a $3.05 billion all-cash acquisition of Halda. The cash-only structure is notable. In an environment where equity markets remain choppy and biotech IPOs are rare, cash consideration provides a clear and immediate exit - precisely what many investors have been waiting for after two years of constrained liquidity. It also reiterates that large pharma balance sheets remain strong and that buyers prefer straightforward transactions without contingent components. These deals are occurring even as the broader financing environment remains uneven. Venture funding share for biotech has declined relative to AI, and public markets have yet to fully reopen for early-stage or mid-cap life sciences companies. But M&A, not IPOs, is currently the mechanism delivering real liquidity. For investors, that distinction matters more than sector-level sentiment. The takeaway is direct: strategic acquirers are active, capital is being deployed, and exits are happening at meaningful valuations. The window is selective, but it is open. For portfolios holding clinical-stage assets or differentiated platforms, the current cycle offers a viable path to liquidity - and one that appears to be strengthening rather than fading. February 21, 2026 VNTR Research Team

Lookout Santa Cruz
Dec 11th, 2024
Santa Cruz medtech company raises $110 million for its efforts to treat heart disease

Santa Cruz-based Capstan Medical is poised to take the next step in its treatment of heart valve disease, announcing a new $110 million funding round as it prepares for patient trials next year.