Sr. Prototype Engineer

Location: San Diego, CA

Department: Engineering

What to Expect:

Working at Ampa is a rare chance to help transform global mental health and save millions of lives — a level of impact that demands deep commitment. Success here requires resilience, adaptability, and the discipline to put in long hours. If you thrive in a high-intensity, fast-changing environment and want your work to truly matter, you may do the best work of your life here.

Role Overview:

We’re seeking a hands-on Sr. Prototype Engineer to support the development, testing, and validation of next-generation transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) devices. You’ll work closely with engineering teams to build, troubleshoot, test, and improve early-stage systems while helping establish repeatable testing and documentation processes as we scale. You will also serve as a hands-on technical owner in the San Diego lab, helping bring structure, rigor, and follow-through to prototype testing, troubleshooting, and lab execution.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working directly with physical hardware, solving practical engineering problems, and moving fluidly between bench testing, data analysis, documentation, and prototype iteration. You’ll play a key role in helping transform evolving concepts into robust, testable, and manufacturable medical technologies. We’re looking for someone with roughly 3 years of hands-on mechanical/hardware experience - seasoned enough to work independently, but this role sits downstream of design: the large majority of time is spent on hands-on, repetitive testing and validation rather than creating new designs from scratch.

Key Responsibilities:

• Prototype Development & Testing: Build, troubleshoot, and iteratively test biomedical and electromechanical prototypes while developing and executing structured test procedures to evaluate device performance, reliability, safety, and failure modes.
• Lab Execution: Serve as a hands-on technical owner for prototype testing, troubleshooting, lab execution, and follow-through on open engineering actions.
• Data Collection & Analysis: Collect, organize, and analyze prototype test data to identify trends, anomalies, performance issues, and engineering improvements. Maintain precise, traceable test records by unit, condition, setup, result, deviation, and follow-up action.
• Documentation & Quality Support: Create and maintain clear, traceable test documentation, engineering records, and verification protocols in support of QMS and regulated product development processes.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to support fast-paced R&D projects, improve prototype designs and test methods, and adapt to evolving development priorities.

What We’re Looking For:

• Mission-Driven: Passionate about helping eradicate depression through breakthrough neurotechnology.
• Driven & Adaptable: Highly motivated, coachable, and thrives in fast-paced startup environments with evolving priorities.
• Technical Background: Technical Background: Working SolidWorks and mechanical design competency, including the ability to open, review, and modify parts/assemblies, interpret 2D drawings, support tolerance updates, and create or modify basic fixture/prototype designs. Hands-on experience building, assembling, and troubleshooting electromechanical assemblies (e.g., wiring, connectors, sensors, actuators/motors) is expected. Background in biomedical, mechanical, mechatronics, electrical, robotics, product development, or a related field. Basic soldering experience and comfort working with hardware components are a plus. Roughly 3 years of hands-on mechanical/hardware experience preferred.
• Hands-On Problem Solver: Strong troubleshooting, prototyping, and hardware testing skills with attention to detail.
• Comfortable with Repetition: Excited to spend the large majority of time on hands-on, repetitive testing and validation work downstream of design, not just design/creation work.
• Documentation & Quality: Able to maintain structured technical documentation and support testing, verification, and QMS-related processes.
• Preferred Experience: Prior experience as a mechanical test engineer, hardware test engineer, biomedical prototype engineer, R&D lab engineer, or similar hands-on hardware testing/validation role.

Why Join Ampa?

• Impact: Use hands-on hardware engineering to transform mental health on the planet.
• Growth: Thrive in a startup environment with rapid innovation.
• Stability: Enjoy startup benefits with a secure product line.
• Ownership: Receive substantial equity as an early team member.
• Growth Path: This role has a clear runway to grow into a more senior mechanical engineer or R&D lab lead position as you build tenure and take on more ownership.

Logistics:

• Work Mode: Onsite
• Location: San Diego, CA
• Compensation: $75k-$90k base salary + equity
• Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

About the Company

Ampa is a pioneering neurotechnology startup developing brain stimulation technology to help eradicate depression. We will improve millions of lives by making this transformative treatment universally accessible. Joining us means you’ll be part of a rapidly growing startup with significant equity opportunities and a major impact on our future.