Associate General Counsel (Director), Employment

It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies—like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion—have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.

We’re a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.

The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful—because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.

If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you’ll find your purpose here.

Primary Function of Position

The Associate General Counsel (Director), Employment serves as a senior legal advisor and subject matter expert on a broad range of employment-related matters across the organization. This role provides strategic counsel to the workforce including all levels of leadership, HR, and cross-functional enabling functions on employment law risks, policies, and practices. The Director provides legal oversight of employment legal investigations, supports management of employment litigation, and drives proactive legal risk mitigation strategies — all in alignment with the company's compliance objectives, policies, and values.

This role requires deep expertise in federal and US employment laws, with particular emphasis on California and Georgia, and carries accountability for shaping the company's employment law posture at scale.  International experience is highly valued. The Director operates with significant autonomy, exercises sound judgment on complex matters, and influences organizational decisions at the highest levels.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead and advise on the full spectrum of employment matters — with particular emphasis on performance management, disciplinary actions, terminations, restructurings, LOA and ADA matters and federal, state, and local law compliance.
• Monitor and interpret changes in employment laws and regulations; proactively recommend and collaborate to support or drive updates to company policies and practices.
• Provide legal oversight for workplace investigations, including those involving sensitive, complex, or executive-level matters; conduct investigations personally as needed.
• Serve as a strategic partner to HR leadership and Centers of Excellence on employee lifecycle and employee relations matters, providing practical, business-oriented guidance.
• Manage, own and support as needed responses to employee escalations, employment demand letters, and pre-litigation matters.
• Effective collaboration with the Employment Litigation Team, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination disputes; support management of outside counsel relationships.
• Partner to develop and deliver training programs on employment law topics and company policies for all levels of the organization, including senior leadership.
• Drive legal research and writing in support of proactive risk mitigation, policy development, and issue resolution.
• In collaboration with team colleagues and leadership evaluate, and continuously improve or update employment law processes, frameworks, and procedures across the organization.
• Monitor, track and support enterprise-wide compliance with all applicable employment laws and regulations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Legal peers, HR, Finance, and business leaders to advance the company's strategic and operational objectives.
• Communicate and negotiate effectively with internal stakeholders, external counsel, and opposing counsel, delivering clear, practical, and actionable legal guidance.

Required Skills and Experience   

• 8 to 12+ years of employment legal experience, with demonstrated progression into senior or leadership roles; experience in high-technology or medical device industries strongly preferred.
• Proven expertise in federal employment law and multi-state regulations, with deep working knowledge of California or Georgia employment law.
• Strong record of leading and supporting complex investigations. 
• Demonstrated ability to influence and advise senior and executive-level stakeholders with sound, business-oriented legal judgment.
• Exceptional legal research, writing, and oral communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts for non-legal audiences.
• High level of integrity and professional ethics; models and reinforces a culture of compliance.
• Proven ability to build and lead cross-functional relationships and drive alignment across diverse teams.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage competing priorities under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Track record of successful negotiations, mediations, and dispute resolution.
• Ability to design and implement scalable cross-functional processes and frameworks.
• Active membership in good standing and admitted to practice law in the state of California or Georgia.
• High level of integrity and professional ethics.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks simultaneously within a rapidly changing and work under tight deadlines.
• Ability to build effective working relationships across the organization.

Required Education and Training 

• JD degree from an ABA accredited law school
• Bar membership (or equivalent registered in house counsel admission) in GA or CA is required.

Working Conditions

• Standard office equipment.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Several years of law firm experience preferred.
• Familiarity with employment litigation and advocacy is a plus.
• Global employment law experience or significant interest in global employment law experience.

***Please note this position requires 3 days per week in office.

Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19.  Details can vary by role.

Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.

Mandatory Notices

U.S. Export Controls Disclaimer:  In accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR §743.13(b)), some roles at Intuitive Surgical may be subject to U.S. export controls for prospective employees
who are nationals from countries currently on embargo or sanctions status.

Certain information you provide as part of the application will be used for purposes of determining whether Intuitive Surgical will need to (i) obtain an export license from the U.S. Government on your behalf (note: the government’s licensing process can take 3 to 6+ months) or (ii) implement a Technology Control Plan (“TCP”) (note: typically adds 2 weeks to the hiring process).  

For any Intuitive role subject to export controls, final offers are contingent upon obtaining an approved export license and/or an executed TCP prior to the prospective employee’s
start date, which may or may not be flexible, and within a timeframe that does not unreasonably impede the hiring need. If applicable, candidates will be notified and instructed on any requirements for these purposes. 

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.

Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.

This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on
business need and/or on the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills.
Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the
candidate’s qualifications, consistent with applicable law.

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target compensation ranges are listed.