Systems Engineer

Systems Engineer, Surgical Imaging

Cision Vision | San Mateo, California | Full-time or substantial part-time

About Cision Vision

Cision Vision is a medical imaging startup built on technology developed at MIT. Our real-time, label-free optical imaging helps surgeons visualize critical anatomy during procedures. With funding support from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), we are turning this technology into practical products for clinical use.

The opportunity

We are seeking a hands-on systems engineer to turn our surgical imaging technology into a reliable, integrated medical device. Working directly with company and engineering leadership, you will translate clinical needs into system requirements, define subsystem interfaces, and lead integration and testing across optics, cameras, electronics, mechanical hardware, firmware, and software.

This role combines technical ownership with coordination across disciplines. You should be comfortable evaluating design tradeoffs, troubleshooting working hardware, and developing the documentation needed to support verification and clinical use. Occasional travel to clinical study partners and collaborators is expected.

Responsibilities

• Translate clinical workflows, user needs, and product goals into measurable system requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Develop and maintain the system architecture, including subsystem requirements and interfaces across optics, illumination, cameras, electronics, mechanical assemblies, firmware, software, and AI.
• Define interface specifications covering mechanical fit, electrical connections, data flow, timing, synchronization, and control behavior.
• Plan and lead integrated prototype builds, system bring-up, and hands-on troubleshooting. Identify root causes of failures and coordinate corrective design changes.
• Evaluate system performance, including image quality, latency, thermal behavior, reliability, and usability; guide technical tradeoffs using test evidence.
• Develop verification and validation plans, test protocols, and reports with engineering, quality, regulatory, and clinical colleagues. Maintain requirements traceability and documented evidence.
• Support risk management, design reviews, change control, and design history documentation. Assess how subsystem changes affect overall performance and safety.
• Coordinate technical milestones, integration dependencies, and readiness criteria with internal teams, suppliers, and development partners.
• Support clinical evaluation, manufacturing transfer, and service readiness by defining system configurations, calibration methods, test procedures, and troubleshooting documentation.
• Prepare technical reports, including government sponsor reports, and communicate system performance, unresolved risks, and recommended decisions to leadership.

Required qualifications

• Five or more years of relevant medical device development experience, including substantial responsibility for systems engineering, integration, or verification of devices combining hardware and software.
• Experience advancing at least one complex device through significant design, integration, verification, clinical evaluation, or manufacturing-transfer milestones.
• A degree in engineering, physics, computer science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Demonstrated ability to develop requirements, define interfaces, plan system tests, and troubleshoot integrated hardware and software.
• Working knowledge of medical device design controls, ISO 13485, risk management, and verification and validation.
• Strong technical judgment and the ability to explain design tradeoffs, write clear documentation, and drive decisions across disciplines.
• Comfort working in a startup, adapting to evolving requirements, and solving problems directly.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with surgical visualization, endoscopy, robotics, camera systems, optical instrumentation, or operating room equipment.
• Hands-on experience with image acquisition, illumination control, embedded systems, or real-time processing.
• Experience leading complex projects involving mechanical, electrical, and software components.
• Experience managing or mentoring engineers and coordinating external development partners.
• Experience with clinical collaborators, manufacturing transfer, or government-funded development programs.

How to apply

Send your resume and a brief description of an integrated medical device you helped develop to [email protected]. Describe your technical responsibilities, a difficult integration problem you addressed, and how you demonstrated that the system met its requirements.

Cision Vision is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and provide reasonable accommodations during the hiring process.

Pay: $100,000.00 - $220,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Retirement plan

Work Location: In person