Platform automation Engineer

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
Platform software engineer focused on eliminating manual toil across our data and analytics
platform. You'll identify automation opportunities, build CI/CD pipelines, implement infrastructure-
as-code, and create self-service tooling for our multi-cloud environment (AWS, Snowflake,
Databricks, Airflow). Bridge data engineering and application development teams while
systematically reducing operational overhead.

Job Responsibilities
•Identify and prioritize automation opportunities by observing team workflows, analyzing
manual processes, and assessing ROI and risk reduction
•Design and implement integration patterns between platform components (AWS,
Snowflake, Databricks, Airflow, dbt)
•Build CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure, data pipelines, and application deployments using
GitOps workflows
•Develop infrastructure-as-code solutions using Terraform/CloudFormation for AWS,
Snowflake, Databricks, and Airflow
•Create self-service automation tools and monitoring solutions that enable team
independence
•Establish standards, testing frameworks, and deployment strategies for cross-platform
automation
•Collaborate with data engineering and application teams on automation needs, technical
design, and best practices

Required Qualifications
Technical Skills
•5+ years in DevOps, platform engineering, or system software engineering roles
•Proficiency in Python, SQL, and at least one compiled or VM language (C++, Java, C#, Go)
•Strong experience with CI/CD tools and workflows (Git, github actions)
•Strong Git skills including branching strategies and code review
•Deep experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform/Terragrunt, Ansible, etc.)
•Hands-on experience with AWS, Snowflake, Databricks, and Airflow
•Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes, ECS) and configuration management
tools
•Understanding of data pipeline architectures, orchestration patterns, and data analytics and ML concepts
•Experience with automated testing, observability tools, and security best practices

Working Style
•Analytical mindset to identify automation opportunities and assess ROI
•Strong communication and collaboration across technical teams
•Pragmatic approach balancing ideal solutions with practical delivery
•Self-motivated to proactively identify and address inefficiencies

Preferred Qualifications
•Experience with additional data tools and platforms (Fivetran, dbt, airflow, Tableau, Posit)
•Knowledge of event-driven architectures and streaming platforms (Kafka, Kinesis)
•Familiarity with service mesh and API gateway patterns
•Experience with policy-as-code tools (OPA, Sentinel, Cloud Custodian)
•Background in software engineering or site reliability engineering
•Certifications in AWS, Terraform, or relevant platforms

What You'll Deliver
•CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure, data, and application deployments
•Infrastructure-as-code modules for AWS, Snowflake, Databricks, and Airflow
•Self-service tools and automation frameworks
•Integration patterns and monitoring solutions
•Automation roadmaps with ROI analysis
•Documentation and runbooks

Education
•Minimum Education Bachelor's degree in computer science or similar

Engagement Details
•Type: Full-time position
•Duration: Ongoing
•Location: Onsite/Sunnyvale, CA
•Travel: Minimal

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.