R&D Mechanical Lead in London

Machnet Medical Robotics (MMR), founded in 2020, is on a mission to revolutionise medical robotics. Our guiding principle is simple: innovation must improve patient outcomes, support clinicians without disrupting workflows, and empower healthcare staff rather than adding burden. MMR is a well-funded company with long-term investors and a strong financial foundation. Our hardware and software teams have developed a fully functional medical robotic platform that has successfully completed animal trials. As we move into the next phase, we are refining the mechanical design for production with a focus on safety, reliability, manufacturability, and scalability, preparing our technology for deployment in hospitals worldwide.

About the Role

We are seeking an R&D Mechanical Lead to lead our mechanical engineering team in central London and take ownership of the mechanical design of our medical robotic platform as it moves from validated prototype to production-ready medical hardware. This is first and foremost a leadership role. You will set the technical direction for the mechanical team, make and document the design decisions that shape the platform, and hold the team to a clear standard: designs that clinicians and cath lab staff adopt because they are intuitive to set up, use, and service, and that perform reliably, case after case, in a demanding clinical environment.

You will build a design culture where usability and robustness are engineered in from the start rather than tested in at the end. That means pushing the team to understand how the system is used at the bedside, raising issues early when a design choice could make the system harder to use or less dependable, and resolving trade-offs through a structured, transparent decision process. You remain close to the hardware and are expected to be hands-on where it matters, but your primary measure of success is the quality, reliability, and adoption of what the team delivers together.

You will work closely with electronics, software, systems, verification, quality, clinical, and operations colleagues, and with our hardware project management function on planning and delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and grow the mechanical engineering team, setting clear expectations for design quality, ownership, and collaboration.
• Create an environment where engineers raise usability, reliability, and integration concerns early and are supported in resolving them.
• Run design reviews that test designs against user needs, reliability targets, and manufacturability, not only against drawings.
• Mentor engineers in design rationale, root-cause thinking, and documentation discipline.

Technical Direction and Design Decisions

• Own the mechanical architecture of the platform, including tolerancing strategy, system integration, serviceability, and design trade-offs.
• Establish and lead a structured design-decision process with clear options, criteria, rationale, and records, so decisions are traceable and revisited only for good reason.
• Define mechanical design standards and best practices and ensure they are applied consistently across subsystems.

User-Centred Design

• Make user adoption the guiding principle of mechanical development: setup time, handling, sterile workflow, ergonomics, cleaning, and serviceability are design requirements, not afterthoughts.
• Work with clinical and human factors colleagues to translate bedside observations, usability findings, and user feedback into concrete design changes.
• Challenge designs that add steps, complexity, or burden for clinicians and staff, and drive simpler alternatives.

Reliability and Robustness

• Own mechanical reliability and robustness, from design margins and failure mode analysis through to field-representative testing and life testing.
• Lead root-cause analysis of mechanical failures found in testing, animal studies, and demonstrations, and ensure corrective actions are designed in rather than patched.
• Work with verification and quality teams to define reliability targets and the evidence needed to show they are met.

Production Readiness

• Drive the transition from validated prototype to production-ready design, leading DFM and DFA work on cost, quality, and manufacturability.
• Select materials and processes appropriate for medical device requirements and scalable production, including injection moulding.
• Lead technical engagement with suppliers, manufacturers, and external engineering partners, working with our procurement function on supplier selection and qualification.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Align mechanical direction with electronics, software, systems, and clinical teams to deliver a robust, integrated device.
• Represent mechanical engineering in technical discussions with partners and stakeholders, including at industry events and conferences when needed.

Who We're Looking For

• Master's or PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience designing and developing complex electromechanical systems, ideally within medical devices, including several years leading a mechanical team.
• A strong track record of taking products from concept through prototype and into production, with the reliability and usability outcomes to show for it.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team through difficult design trade-offs, make clear decisions, and bring people with you.
• Deep understanding of mechanical design for real-world reliability, serviceability, and performance under clinical constraints.
• Strong grasp of materials and manufacturing processes, including scalable techniques such as injection moulding, and of DFM/DFA.
• Proficiency in parametric CAD (for example, SolidWorks) and in rapid prototyping methods such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC milling.
• A user-first mindset: you ask how the device will be used before you ask how it will be made.
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain design rationale to clinicians, executives, and engineers alike.
• Availability and eligibility to work from our central London office.

Experience We Value

• Experience designing mechanical systems for regulated medical devices or medical robotics, including design controls under ISO 13485 and risk management under ISO 14971.
• Experience applying human factors and usability engineering (IEC 62366) to hardware design.
• Experience setting up or improving design review, design-decision, and documentation processes within an engineering team.
• Experience leading reliability engineering activities such as FMEA, design margin analysis, life testing, and failure analysis.
• Experience working with external manufacturers or contract engineering partners, including supplier qualification and technical oversight.
• Prior experience in a startup or similarly fast-moving, high-autonomy environment.
• Experience securing patents and contributing to intellectual property related to mechanical designs.

Why Join Us?

At MMR, you will work at the intersection of robotics, AI, and healthcare, building technology that directly impacts patient care and clinical outcomes. You will join a mission-driven, collaborative team where your technical expertise will meaningfully shape the future of medical robotics. We believe technology must serve people responsibly. Human-centred innovation, integrity, and long-term responsibility guide how we design products and how we support our team members' growth and well-being.

What We Offer

• An international, interdisciplinary team based in Central London and Zwolle, Netherlands.
• A collaborative and supportive workplace culture within a growing medical device and robotics startup.
• A central London office with a well-equipped prototyping and development space.
• Ongoing professional development through training, workshops, and conferences.
• Competitive salary package including pension contribution.
• Employee wellbeing benefits, including gym membership and cycle to work scheme.
• Regular team socials, office events, and Friday treats.
• An inclusive environment where people are encouraged to learn, contribute, and grow professionally.