Engineering · Cross-Practice
Development, quality, validation, manufacturing, and field service engineers across medical device, diagnostics, IVD, CDMO, and life science tool companies. We recruit for the searches where regulated-environment experience separates strong candidates from generalists.
25 years placing engineers into companies that ship FDA-cleared products, ISO-certified manufacturing, and clinical-grade instrumentation.
Each of these industries hires engineers differently. We understand the distinctions.
Design engineers, product development leads, and validation specialists working across cardiovascular, orthopedic, ophthalmology, respiratory, and implantable device categories. Roles typically require ISO 13485 experience and familiarity with design controls, risk management, and FDA 510(k) or PMA pathway support.
Medical Device Recruiting →Systems engineers, instrument development engineers, and applications engineers at IVD manufacturers and molecular diagnostics companies. These roles combine hardware, software, and assay integration expertise — often for platforms navigating FDA 510(k), PMA, or CLIA validation.
IVD Recruiting →Process engineers, manufacturing engineers, and quality engineers for contract development and manufacturing organizations. Deep experience with tech transfer, scale-up, cGMP compliance, and validation across biologics, pharma, and device manufacturing.
CDMO/CMO Recruiting →Field application scientists, field service engineers, and product development engineers for instrument manufacturers. Candidates who can translate between hardware capability, customer workflow, and commercial deployment across research, clinical, and industrial markets.
Life Science Tools Recruiting →Process automation engineers, LIS specialists, and lab operations engineers for reference labs, hospital labs, and specialty testing organizations. Experience with high-volume automation platforms, middleware integration, and lab workflow optimization.
CLIA Lab Recruiting →Across functional specialties and seniority levels — individual contributor through VP.
Senior Development Engineer · Product Development Engineer · R&D Engineer · Design Engineer · Systems Engineer · Hardware Engineer · Mechanical Design Engineer · Electrical Engineer · Biomedical Engineer
Quality Engineer · Senior Quality Engineer · Design Quality Engineer · Supplier Quality Engineer · Regulatory Affairs Engineer · CAPA Engineer · Post-Market Surveillance · Complaint Handling Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer · Process Engineer · Process Development Engineer · Production Engineer · Automation Engineer · Industrial Engineer · Continuous Improvement Engineer · Tech Transfer Engineer
Validation Engineer · V&V Engineer · Test Engineer · Equipment Validation · Process Validation · Software Validation (CSV) · Cleaning Validation · IQ/OQ/PQ Specialists
Field Service Engineer · Field Application Scientist · Applications Engineer · Technical Support Engineer · Customer Engineer · Product Specialist · Clinical Applications Specialist
VP Engineering · Director of Engineering · VP R&D · Director of Manufacturing · VP Quality · VP Regulatory · Chief Engineer · Engineering Program Manager
Engineers working in FDA-regulated environments think differently than engineers who don't. That distinction matters more than most hiring managers realize.
Regulated-environment engineers work under design controls and change control from day one.
Their instinct is to document, verify, and validate before optimizing. Engineers moving from non-regulated industries — consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace — often struggle with the pace and documentation burden.
The strongest candidates have already made that transition and understand why the process exists.
Medical device design engineers spend their careers moving products through 510(k), PMA, or De Novo pathways.
They know when to push back on marketing, when a design change triggers a new submission, and how risk management (ISO 14971) shapes every decision.
Hiring them for a diagnostic instrument role usually works. Hiring a purely academic biomedical engineer for the same role usually doesn't.
Quality and validation engineers are their own subspecies. Great ones combine deep protocol knowledge (IQ/OQ/PQ, DQ, computer system validation) with the interpersonal skills to negotiate with R&D and manufacturing without slowing programs down.
The best ones are frequently the reason a program stays on schedule — and the reason a company clears an FDA inspection.
Manufacturing and process engineers in CDMO environments have a specific skill set that doesn't transfer easily. Tech transfer, scale-up, cGMP compliance, deviation investigation, and equipment qualification are daily work.
Engineers from R&D environments often can't operate under that pace and documentation load. Engineers from generic manufacturing environments often lack the regulatory rigor.
Field service and applications engineers live at the intersection of technical depth and customer relationships. They install, troubleshoot, train, and consult — often at customer sites, often with minimal supervision.
The strongest ones combine hands-on hardware skills with the composure to represent a company in front of demanding technical buyers. That combination is harder to find than either skill alone.
Recruiters who don't understand these distinctions try to move candidates across the boundaries — pitching a semiconductor engineer on a medical device role, or a pure R&D scientist on a validation position.
Most of those moves don't work, and the ones that do require a recruiter who knows why.
One representative placement. We've completed many more — reach out for relevant examples.
MEDICAL DEVICE · SENIOR DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER
The challenge — A medical device manufacturer in upstate New York needed a Senior Development Engineer to lead design and development of biomedical textile products used in implantable medical devices. The role required an uncommon combination — textile forming expertise (braiding, knitting, weaving), ISO 13485 manufacturing experience, and deep polymer and fiber knowledge. The location added a second challenge: a geographically remote area with almost no local candidates who fit the profile. Traditional job postings and networking had already failed.
The approach — We ran a nationwide search across adjacent medical device sectors — materials science, biomedical engineering, and polymer or fiber process development — using Boolean search techniques and industry network outreach. We prioritized candidates with cross-functional collaboration experience and prior success in regulated manufacturing. Recognizing relocation as the primary obstacle, we specifically targeted candidates who had previously relocated for career advancement or expressed interest in moving to emerging Medtech regions.
The result — Within eight weeks we identified a senior engineer from the Southeast with the exact combination of hands-on product development, process optimization, and textile manufacturing experience the role required. Detailed technical and cultural fit discussions confirmed both the candidate's genuine interest and willingness to relocate. After multiple interview rounds the candidate accepted, relocated to New York, and joined the R&D team — filling a critical skill gap and accelerating several stalled product development initiatives.
Common questions about our engineering recruiting practice.
Most engineering searches identify a viable shortlist within 4-6 weeks and reach an offer within 8-12 weeks when handled by a specialist. Roles requiring specific regulatory experience (CSV, design controls, tech transfer to a specific manufacturing modality) or requiring relocation to lower-density geographies typically run longer. Executive engineering roles — VP Engineering, VP R&D — usually run 12-16 weeks.
Yes. Many of our placements involve hybrid roles — biomedical engineers with molecular biology exposure, systems engineers with clinical workflow expertise, materials scientists with medical device experience. We screen specifically for the combined skill set rather than either component in isolation, which is a common failure point in generalist engineering searches.
Yes. We recruit staff and senior engineers as often as we recruit engineering directors and VPs. The methodology differs — individual contributor searches emphasize hands-on technical depth, while leadership searches emphasize program management, cross-functional influence, and organizational scaling — but we work across all levels.
Yes — and we plan for it explicitly. Many of the specialized engineering roles we fill are in geographies with limited local talent (Upstate New York, rural Midwest, parts of the Southeast). We identify candidates who have relocated before or who are actively open to relocation, and we address relocation logistics early in the process rather than at offer stage. See our case study above for one example.
Engineering roles frequently span multiple industries. These practices connect closely.
Life Sciences
Field application scientists, field service, and commercial leadership at instrument and lab technology companies.
Explore →Medical Device
Commercial, field service, and technical talent for medical device manufacturers across specialty markets.
Explore →CDMO
Engineering, project management, business development, QA, and operations across contract manufacturing.
Explore →We've placed engineers into design, quality, validation, manufacturing, and field service roles across every regulated industry we cover. Tell us what you're trying to fill — we'll be honest about whether we're the right fit.
