Ciara O'reilly

High-performing Mechatronic Engineer (First Class Honours, ranked 2nd in class) with experience designing, prototyping, and validating electromechanical systems across research, startup, and industrial settings. Proven ability to develop systems from TRL 3 to TRL 5, integrating electronics, software, sensing, and mechanical design into functional prototypes. Strong background in verification and qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), automated manufacturing, and cross-disciplinary engineering in automotive and scientific domains.

Passionate about translating engineering innovation into healthcare technologies, with startup experience in biosensing and early-stage medical device development.

Product Engineering Research Assistant at RESTART (DCU Water Institute) (2025-06 – 2026-03)

• Designed and developed a portable photodiode-based water quality sensing system for E. coli detection, progressing system maturity from TRL 3 to TRL 5.
• Defined overall system architecture and integrated optical, electronic, mechanical, and software subsystems into a functional end-to-end prototype.
• Developed a LabVIEW-based data acquisition and control platform on embedded hardware (LattePanda), implementing real-time signal visualisation, system control, and HMI interface.
• Designed custom analog front-end electronics, including transimpedance amplifier (TIA), ADC integration, voltage regulation, and PID-based thermal control for signal stability
• Engineered and optimised optical system geometry to maximise signal capture and measurement sensitivity, achieving a limit of detection of 9.5 nM (<0.5% RSD).
• Designed and iterated full system mechanical architecture using SolidWorks, delivering manufacturing-ready CAD and technical drawings
• Developed custom PCBs and managed external SMT/THT fabrication and assembly with manufacturers.
• Led system calibration, testing, and validation, generating growth/calibration curves to evaluate performance.
• Translated microbiology and chemistry requirements into engineering specifications for system design and validation.

APU Test Engineer at Valeo Vision Systems (2023-03 – 2025-03)

• Led Lean Six Sigma optimisation of automated production systems, reducing cycle time by 58% through data-driven workflow redesign.
• Performed root cause analysis of system failures across five production lines, implementing corrective actions to improve manufacturing robustness and production yield.
• Executed Measurement System Analysis (MSA), including crossed and nested Gage R&R studies, to evaluate measurement reliability and support IQ/OQ/PQ validation of automated sensing equipment.
• Owned daily KPI performance reviews with senior stakeholders, identifying mechanical and process bottlenecks and prioritising high-impact engineering issues.
• Developed automated data pipelines (Python, APIs) and real-time dashboards to enable live production monitoring and data-driven decision-making.
• Designed and deployed an internal engineering knowledge platform centralising diagnostics and operational documentation, improving cross-functional efficiency and reducing downtime.

Co-Founder & Engineering Lead at Anaphero Technologies Ltd (2024-06 – Present)

• Built a wearable medical device from concept to functional prototype within 4 weeks and demonstrated it live to a panel of due diligence judges, resulting in the team progressing to the semi-final of the world's largest student startup competition.
• Defined product and operational roadmap, aligning development with class 2B medical device regulatory requirements and real-world deployment constraints.
• Conducted user and stakeholder interviews to identify key problems and inform strategic direction.
• Secured €18,000 in pre-seed funding through competitive international pitching.

Lab Demonstrator at DCU | School of Mechanical Engineering (2024-09 – 2025-05)

• Mentored second-year students in 3D CAD modelling (SolidWorks), CSWA test prep, and engineering design principles.
• Guided first-year students in the design, build, and testing of AGVs in a manufacturing workshop environment.

Masters (MEng) in Mechatronic Engineering

Bachelors (BEng) in Mechatronic Engineering