Cairns Health

Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA, US Full-time

Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Location: Sunnyvale, CA

Role Overview

We are looking for a proactive and technically strong Senior Manufacturing Engineer to lead the manufacturing, assembly, and quality assurance of our devices in a low-volume/early-stage production environment. This role owns the end-to-end manufacturing process—from parts procurement and supply chain monitoring to assembly execution, QA test development, and documentation. The ideal candidate is practical, data-driven, process-oriented, and comfortable working cross-functionally with firmware engineering, customer support, and external vendors.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing & Assembly

  • Assemble and produce company devices reliably and efficiently
  • Develop, document, and optimize assembly processes and work instructions
  • Identify opportunities for increased throughput and reduced costs
  • Support pilot builds and scaling from prototype to low-volume production

Supply Chain & Vendor Management

  • Manage parts procurement and supplier relationships
  • Monitor inventory, lead times, and supply chain risks
  • Negotiate delivery timelines and resolve supply issues

Quality Assurance

  • Create and maintain QA test plans for incoming components and finished devices
  • Develop and run validation tests to ensure parts and assemblies meet specifications
  • Investigate defects, lead root-cause analysis, and drive corrective action

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Partner with firmware engineering to integrate test modes and production test support
  • Work with customer support to troubleshoot field issues and enhance product durability
  • Collaborate with hardware design to improve manufacturability and testability

Troubleshooting & Test Tools

  • Troubleshoot consumer electronic devices and assembly errors
  • Use tools like oscilloscopes, multimeters, ESD controls, and near-field emission detection

Documentation & Compliance

  • Maintain rigorous manufacturing and test documentation
  • Manage BOMs, process change logs, and revision control
  • Ensure traceability and compliance with internal quality standards

Qualifications

Required

  • 5+ years in manufacturing engineering or similar role (hardware/consumer electronics)
  • Strong working knowledge of electrical/mechanical components and assembly
  • Hands-on experience with soldering, ESD practices, and basic diagnostic tools
  • Highly process-oriented with strong documentation discipline
  • Data-driven mindset and metrics tracking experience
  • Experience managing supply chain and vendor relationships
  • Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills

Preferred

  • Experience in a startup or low-volume production environment
  • Familiarity with quality systems (ISO standards, CAPA, Risk Management)
  • Exposure to ERP/inventory systems

Personal Attributes

  • Organized, analytical, and detail-focused
  • Comfortable in a fast-paced, cross-functional setting
  • Strong communicator and collaborator

About Us:  

Cairns Health builds conversational AI tools to support people with chronic conditions and the people who care for them. Our digital care companion, Luna, provides medication reminders, symptom checks, behavioral nudges, and companionship — all powered by cutting-edge AI and context-aware sensing technologies. By simplifying care plans and enabling proactive intervention, we improve clinical outcomes, reduce care costs, and make healthcare more human. Learn more here: www.cairns.ai.

To Apply:

Please apply here and answer the following questions.

  1. How long would your realistic commute be to Sunnyvale, CA?
  2. What are your salary expectations?
  3. Why do you want to work at Cairns Health?

🚀 Y Combinator Company Info

Y Combinator Batch: S17
Team Size: 17 employees
Industry: Healthcare -> Consumer Health and Wellness
Company Description: Your voice. Your health. We care.

💰 Compensation

Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000

📋 Job Details

Job Type: Full-time
Experience Level: 6+ years
Engineering Type: Hardware