Medical Device Technical Associate - Heart Institute - Makkar Team

Cedars-Sinai•Los Angeles, CA

18h

About The Position

The Smidt Heart Institute reflects Cedars-Sinai's steadfast dedication to heart disease and research innovation giving patients access to the highest level of care. Year after year, thousands of people trust their hearts to Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. Our cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and specialized care teams treat the full spectrum of heart disease and disorders, while our investigators continue to advance the field with groundbreaking, life-saving research. From genetic counseling and targeted drug therapies to a growing array of minimally invasive procedures, Cedars-Sinai continues to stand at the forefront of technology, innovation and discovery improving patient outcomes. Raj Makkar, MD is a world-renowned leading expert in interventional cardiology and is one of the most widely cited researchers on the management of valvular heart disease. He has performed the greatest number of transcatheter valve implantation (TAVI) procedures in the world and has led the field in advancing the procedure to ensure the best outcomes for patients. In 2020, he performed the most transcatheter mitral valve repair procedures with the MitraClip system in the United States and is the national principal investigator for mitral valve replacement research studies. He has authored over 500 manuscripts, abstracts and book chapters in peer-reviewed literature including practice-changing contributions in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet. He has lectured extensively around the world and regularly performs live case transmissions for major international conferences to demonstrate cutting-edge interventional cardiology techniques to a world-wide audience. His research interests focus on novel transcatheter therapies to treat structural heart disease, with a focus on studies that directly demonstrate improvements in patient outcomes. Since 2010, he has been the Stephen R. Corday Chair in Interventional Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai and has led the clinical program and trained over 50 fellows both from within the United States and internationally. The Medical Device Technical Associate will lead precision sewing and assembly of transcatheter heart valves and the prototyping and optimization of delivery catheter systems. This role will convert complex designs into functionally representative prototypes, operate advanced test setups to generate meaningful performance data, and rapidly iterate build techniques to de-risk designs. Partnering closely with engineering, quality, and pre-clinical teams, this role will assess manufacturability and procedural usability while supporting benchtop and pre-clinical evaluations.

Responsibilities

Builds, modifies, and optimizes transcatheter heart valves and delivery catheter systems from feasibility through pre-clinical.
Performs advanced precision sewing and assembly of heart valve prototypes; ensures functional fidelity to design intent.
Leads complex, highly specialized leaflet preparation, tissue shaping, and commissural alignment to achieve reproducible hemodynamics.
Integrates biological/synthetic materials to metallic/polymeric frames; identifies alignment, durability, and manufacturability risks.
Assembles and refines delivery catheter prototypes; applies expertise in catheter construction, actuation mechanics, and materials.
Prepares valve and catheter systems for simulated use, benchtop testing, and pre-clinical evaluation.
Operates and optimizes test setups (e.g., tortuosity models, actuation-force fixtures); generates data to guide design.
Drives rapid iteration by adapting build techniques, troubleshooting assembly issues, and accelerating engineering decisions.
Identifies design vulnerabilities and assembly challenges; recommends changes improving reliability, DFM/DFX, and clinical success.
Interprets complex drawings, CAD models, and evolving work instructions with minimal supervision.
Collaborates with engineering, quality, and pre-clinical teams on performance, manufacturability, usability, and robustness.
Supports benchtop and pre-clinical studies through preparation, troubleshooting, and technical execution.
Maintains comprehensive build records, traceability, test data, and observations for regulatory readiness and knowledge capture.
Mentors junior technicians; standardizes procedures and drive process improvements for capability.