Miguel
Ballard.

Manufacturing Engineering Technician III

I launched Neuralink’s Austin synthetic-organ wet lab within my first month and now lead daily operations, producing models for surgeon training and robot testing. I reduced hydrogel cure time from 12+ hours to ~30 minutes.

I design and fabricate prototype tooling, fixtures, and MRI-derived anatomical models with SolidWorks, 3D Slicer, and 3D printing. I also fabricate and inspect needle cartridges and kinematic couplers using laser welding and Keyence metrology, and program touch-probe and optical CMM inspections in PC-DMIS.

I supervise surgical drape production in the Dominican Republic and partner with manufacturing engineering on manufacturability and SOP revisions.

1. CMM/Metrology Technician II

   Dec 2025 — May 2026

   Developed CAD-based PC-DMIS inspection programs for Robotaxi, Optimus, and Model Y components.

2. Production Control Technician II

   Dec 2024 — Dec 2025

   Established the Die Shop’s first organized die-insert inventory system, with Excel tracking and defined storage locations.

   Coordinated shop-wide material flow and vendor shipments supporting Cybertruck, Robotaxi, and Model Y die builds.

3. Production Associate — Subassemblies

   Jan 2024 — Dec 2024

   Assembled Model Y subassemblies and integrated wiring harnesses, following standardized work and performing in-process quality checks.

Cryptologic Language Analyst (Korean)

Osan AB, South Korea

Analyzed and translated Korean-language communications, producing time-sensitive intelligence reports supporting U.S. government operations.