Medical Device Incubator | Implantable Devices | Contract (Sydney)
This is not a traditional R&D role.
Cochlear's Incubation Operations team works alongside innovative, ground‑breaking medical device start‑ups to help transform bold ideas into real, manufacturable, implantable products.
We are seeking highly experienced Senior Mechanical Engineers who thrive in fast‑paced, start‑up environments where requirements evolve, ambiguity is the norm, and progress depends on sound judgement rather than perfect information.
The environment
This role sits within Cochlear R&D - Incubation Operations.
You should expect:
A start‑up culture operating inside a global medical device leader
Rapid iteration, changing requirements, and incomplete information
A need to make clear, defensible engineering trade‑offs
Hands‑on involvement across design, test, tooling, and early production
Close collaboration with start‑up companies, suppliers, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing
If you are energised by uncertainty and enjoy developing ground-breaking commercial medical devices under pressure, this will feel familiar.
What you will be doing
This is a senior, delivery‑focused role with genuine end‑to‑end ownership.
You will:
Lead detailed mechanical design of implantable components and assemblies, with strong consideration of biocompatibility, fluid ingress, tolerancing, and long‑term reliability
Drive DFM/A decisions with suppliers and process engineering to ensure designs can be built, inspected, and scaled
Own mechanical verification, validation, and characterisation testing, including test method development, fixtures, execution, and failure investigation
Design or specify simple production tooling, jigs, fixtures, and silicone moulding tools to support pilot and early production builds
Support design transfer and NPI, including CTQs, inspection strategies, pilot builds, and design convergence
This is an end-to-end, solutions-focused role with a sense of urgency to ensure the successful delivery of start-up medical device technology.
Who this role is for
You will likely have:
10+ years mechanical engineering experience, including 5+ years in medical devices or other highly regulated industries
A proven track record of delivering complex electromechanical or implantable products from detailed design through V&V and into manufacturing
Strong DFM/A capability, including tolerance analysis and GD&T
Hands‑on experience leading verification, validation, and reliability testing
Comfort wearing different hats across design, test, tooling, and early production
Demonstrates outstanding communication abilities and consistently exhibits a proactive approach to teamwork and collaboration.
Experience with implantable devices and production tooling is a strong advantage.
Who thrives here
Engineers who succeed in this team tend to:
Enjoy solving hard, real‑world problems, not just producing CAD
Take ownership for outcomes, not just tasks
Stay calm and pragmatic when requirements change
Have an appetite for bold experimentation, grounded in strong engineering judgement
Care deeply about developing solutions that genuinely improve patients' lives