Supplier Industrialization Engineer

About the role

Supplier Industrialization Engineer

Neuralink is developing devices that create a bidirectional interface with the brain. These systems are designed to restore movement to the paralyzed and restore sight to the blind, while redefining human interaction with digital technology. The Supplier Industrialization Engineering team owns the external manufacturing network that produces every component for the Implant and the Robot. This function works closely with Design, Quality, Manufacturing, and Strategic Sourcing to transition parts from prototype to volume production, ensuring suppliers meet technical, cost, schedule, and regulatory requirements across the product lifecycle.

The role is a generalist position that spans machined components, molded plastics, electromechanical assemblies, PCBAs, optics, hermetic packaging, coatings, and biocompatible materials. You will move across these domains, providing engineering leadership wherever program needs are greatest. Success requires rapid mastery of new manufacturing areas, ownership of parts you have not personally built, and strong first-principles judgment in every supplier interaction. The position is open to early-career engineers with mentorship paths, as well as senior and staff engineers who will lead multi-commodity strategies and complex supplier recoveries.

You will guide supplier selection and qualification for a wide range of components, ensuring processes are capable before volume production begins. You will establish design for manufacturing practices in collaboration with design teams, embedding manufacturability, yield, reliability, and safety from the earliest development stages. Creating supplier-ready documentation, control plans, and inspection strategies will translate design intent and specifications into clear execution steps for partners.

Process qualification activities will be led by you, including analysis of capability, first-article inspections, and validation activities to achieve first-time-right launches across diverse commodities. You will partner with Quality to uphold regulatory expectations, maintaining rigorous change control, traceability, and validation documentation. Building supplier scorecards and applying Lean, statistical tools, and continuous-improvement methods will drive improvements in yield, cycle time, cost, and on-time delivery across the supply base.

On-site engagement is essential. You will travel to domestic and international suppliers to lead audits, process walks, line qualifications, and corrective-action verification. You will work with Strategic Sourcing on should-cost analysis, dual-source strategies, and negotiations to secure reliable capacity at fair value. You will also lead 8D responses and corrective actions to contain non-conforming material, remove root causes, and elevate the process bar to prevent recurrence.

A Bachelor of Science in engineering, biology, or a related field is required, or equivalent practical experience. You must bring three to five years of experience in supplier industrialization, process qualification, or manufacturing engineering. A strong understanding of GD&T, design for manufacturing, and translating specifications into supplier controls is essential. Demonstrated experience with medical device regulatory expectations, including ISO 13485 and 21 CFR Part 820, is required.

Experience with biocompatible materials, coatings, optics, hermetic packaging, or PCBAs is preferred. Core skills include CAD tools, Microsoft Office, GD&T, statistical analysis software, and document control. Compensation includes a base salary of $180,000, a $30,000 signing bonus, and $120,000 in equity compensation. Relocation to South San Francisco, California, is required for this full-time role.

What you'll do

• Execute the end-to-end supplier industrialization workflow for assigned commodities, owning process validation, capability studies, and first-article approvals.
• Partner with Strategic Sourcing and suppliers to develop should-cost models, negotiate targets, and secure cost-down opportunities without compromising quality or regulatory compliance.
• Translate design intent into supplier-ready deliverables, including detailed control plans, standard work instructions, and inspection plans that eliminate ambiguity at the source.
• Drive first-time-right launches by coordinating process qualification activities, dimensional and material verification, and statistical analysis of pilot and production data.
• Establish and maintain supplier scorecards, applying root-cause analysis and corrective-action frameworks to resolve deviations and sustain year-over-year improvements.
• Lead on-site audits and process walks at domestic and international supplier facilities, assessing compliance with ISO 13485, 21 CFR Part 820, and internal Neuralink standards.
• Collaborate with Quality and Manufacturing to define acceptance criteria, sampling plans, and traceability strategies that protect product integrity and patient safety.
• Apply Lean methods and statistical tools to reduce cycle time, variation, and cost across the supplier base while improving yield and on-time delivery performance.
• Own dual-source strategies and contingency planning to mitigate supply-chain risk, ensuring critical components have qualified and capable backups.
• Serve as the primary technical liaison between Design, Quality, Manufacturing, and Suppliers during escalations, change reviews, and problem-solving sessions.
• Document and lead execution of 8D responses, containment actions, and permanent corrective actions to eliminate recurring non-conformities.
• Adapt to shifting program priorities across multiple commodities, balancing urgent timelines with rigorous validation and regulatory requirements.
• Support technology transfer from development to manufacturing, ensuring smooth scalability without loss of process control or product performance.
• Champion continuous-improvement initiatives that elevate supplier capabilities, reduce scrap, and strengthen long-term partnerships.
• Maintain mastery of relevant tools and methods, including CAD, GD&T, statistical analysis software, document control systems, and regulatory guidance.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor of Science in engineering, biology, or a related field, or possess equivalent practical experience that demonstrates the required technical competence.
• Bring a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years of professional experience in supplier industrialization, process qualification, or manufacturing engineering within a regulated environment.
• Demonstrate expert-level understanding of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and the ability to translate specifications into executable supplier controls.
• Show a strong grasp of design for manufacturing principles, applying them to ensure high yield, reliability, and safety in production processes.
• Possess documented experience with medical device quality management systems, specifically ISO 13485 and 21 CFR Part 820 compliance and audit expectations.
• Prove capability to lead process qualification campaigns, including first-article inspections, capability analysis, and validation documentation.
• Exhibit strong written and verbal communication skills to interface effectively with internal teams and international suppliers across cultural and regulatory boundaries.
• Display resilience and adaptability when managing concurrent projects, rapid technical changes, and strict regulatory timelines.
• Commit to working full-time in South San Francisco, California, with required on-site engagement at domestic and international supplier locations as needed.
• Maintain eligibility to obtain and maintain a valid U.S. work authorization without sponsorship for this role.
• Align with Neuralink's focus on long-term safety, precise outcomes, and responsible integration of brain-interface technology into medical practice.

Nice to have

• Prior experience with biocompatible materials, coatings, optics, hermetic packaging, or PCBAs in medical device or similar high-reliability environments.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis software and tools used for capability studies, control planning, and data-driven decision-making.
• Background in should-cost analysis, dual-source strategy development, and negotiation support for critical components.
• Experience conducting or supporting 8D problem-solving and corrective-action initiatives in supplier environments.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous-improvement frameworks applied in supplier industrialization contexts.

Practical notes

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Engagement: Full-time.

• Hours: Standard business hours with flexibility for on-site supplier engagements as required.
• Travel: Domestic and international travel to supplier facilities is essential for audits, qualifications, and corrective-action verification.
• Visa: Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Re

location: USA

• Compensation includes a base salary of $180,000, a $30,000 signing bonus, and $120,000 in equity compensation.