Derek Hauschka
About Derek Hauschka
Derek Hauschka serves as the Sr. Manager of R&D Engineering at Inari Medical, where he has worked since 2020. He has extensive experience in biomedical engineering, having held positions at Medtronic, Abbott, and Edwards Lifesciences, where he focused on quality engineering, biocompatibility testing, and process optimization.
Work at Inari Medical
Derek Hauschka serves as the Sr. Manager of R&D Engineering at Inari Medical, a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he focuses on improving engineering processes and product development. He has developed fixtures and tooling aimed at enhancing process yield. Additionally, he manages material non-conformances and collaborates with suppliers to implement corrective actions and improvements. His contributions are integral to the advancement of Inari Medical's engineering capabilities.
Previous Experience in R&D Engineering
Before joining Inari Medical, Derek Hauschka worked at Medtronic as a Sr. R&D Engineer from 2015 to 2020 in Irvine, CA. His role involved significant contributions to research and development projects. Prior to that, he was a Senior Quality Engineer at Abbott from 2010 to 2013 in Temecula, CA, where he focused on quality assurance processes. He also worked at Edwards Lifesciences as an EW Partner: Research and Development Engineer from 2008 to 2010 in Irvine, CA, contributing to various engineering initiatives.
Education and Expertise
Derek Hauschka earned his Bachelor's degree in Biomedical/Medical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine, completing his studies from 2005 to 2009. His educational background provides a strong foundation for his work in the medical device industry. His expertise includes biocompatibility testing to meet ISO 10993 standards and process automation, enhancing efficiency in manufacturing.
Achievements in Engineering Processes
Throughout his career, Derek Hauschka has achieved notable improvements in engineering processes. He automated the catheter jacket reflow process, which resulted in a 225% increase in capacity and a 38% reduction in operator head count. He also characterized and qualified the laser welding process and established power monitoring systems. Additionally, he optimized part flow for a new production clean room by mapping the cleanroom floorplan.