About Us
Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, a part of the medical device division of Abbott Laboratories, is a Fortune 500 company with over 115,000 employees globally. As the global market leader in implantable and extracorporeal blood pumps utilizing cutting-edge magnetic levitation technology, we develop and manufacture life-saving systems in Zurich that support advanced heart failure patients requiring both short- and long-term circulatory assistance.
Located in the vibrant heart of Zurich, our team comprises around 130 dedicated professionals in development, quality, and production of the CentriMag System and the HeartMate 3. We are currently seeking a motivated and talented Senior Mechatronics Engineer to join our dynamic R&D team in Zurich. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of the next generation of centrifugal blood pumps and circulatory support systems while also supporting engineering and quality teams in maintaining the production of existing products.
Role Overview
This position is ideal for an engineer with expertise in electromagnetic motor design, control systems, and electrical engineering. You will work on complex, regulated medical devices that have a direct impact on patient outcomes. In this key technical role, you will be responsible for the design, modeling, and control of electromagnetically driven motors used in blood pumps, collaborating closely with firmware, systems, and verification teams from concept through to commercialization.
Your efforts will help ensure that our life-saving products remain on the cutting edge of innovation and adhere to the highest industry standards. In this role, you will interface and collaborate with cross-functional teams in both Switzerland and the United States.
Main Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and optimize electromagnetic motors for implantable and extracorporeal blood pump medical devices; experience with magnetically levitated systems is a strong plus.
- Develop and evaluate motor concepts and topologies by balancing performance, controllability, manufacturability, and long-term reliability.
- Perform electromagnetic and thermo-magnetic analyses, including FEM-based simulations, to optimize torque, efficiency, losses, and thermal performance.
- Model and optimize key losses (copper, iron, eddy current, and control-related losses) and conduct system-level efficiency and thermal trade-off studies.
- Translate analytical and simulation results into concrete design improvements, correlating predictions with experimental and prototype test data.
- Develop and analyze motor control strategies (current, speed, torque, and position control) to ensure stable and precise pump operation.
- Collaborate closely with power electronics and firmware teams to integrate motor drives, sensing, and feedback systems.
- Support system integration, test definition, characterization testing, and root-cause analysis across motor, electronics, and control domains.
- Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners on motor components and build processes.
- Support sustaining projects for on-market products, including obsolescence projects, complaint investigations, and corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field (ETH/FH or comparable education).
- 5+ years of experience in new product development for medical devices, ideally in active implantable or life-sustaining Class 2 or Class 3 devices.
- Strong background in electromagnetics, motor design, and motor control, including hands-on experience with motor drives, power electronics, and embedded control systems.
- Demonstrated understanding of control systems theory, including linear control, stability analysis, feedback systems, PID control, and state space concepts.
- Proficiency with modeling and analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, electromagnetic simulation software).
- Experience with design, verification, and validation under medical design controls (ISO 13485 and FDA 21 CFR 820) and standards (IEC 60601; ISO 14971).
- Strong technical writing and communication skills; ability to collaborate effectively with a cross-functional project team (Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, etc.).
- Proficiency in English is required, as it is used in meetings and all documentation.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in the design and manufacturing of motors.
- Experience conducting or supporting reliability testing (long-term endurance testing).
- Prior collaboration with FDA or notified bodies during submissions or audits.
- Familiarity with Windchill (PLM and Change Control system), Altium (PCB Design), and Solidworks (CAD).
- Knowledge of statistical methods, techniques, and statistical software tools.
- Communicative German is a plus.
Application Process
If you are interested in joining our team, please apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.
We look forward to meeting you in the heart of Zurich!