Sr. Manager, Technical Training

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 Senior Manager, Technical Training reports to the Director, Technical Learning & Capability Development and leads the execution and continuous improvement of technical training, qualification, and certification programs supporting manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), logistics, and related technical operations.

This leader translates enterprise strategy, governance, competency standards, and certification requirements into practical operating plans, curricula, delivery models, and measurable workforce-readiness outcomes. The role is accountable for consistent onboarding, qualification, recertification, assessment, and training-record management.

The Senior Manager leads training managers, supervisors, trainers, and technical learning professionals; establishes priorities, resource plans, performance expectations, and development pathways; and aligns training capacity, instructor readiness, facilities, equipment, and learning systems with operational demand.

This leader partners with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Service Operations, Supply Chain, Planning, Regulatory Affairs, Human Resources, NPI teams, and business leaders to convert technical and process requirements into effective training. Data and performance metrics are used to improve time-to-qualification, completion, learning effectiveness, productivity, quality, and audit readiness.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead the deployment and daily execution of technical training aligned with Operations priorities, workforce plans, quality requirements, and enterprise standards.
• Convert strategy into annual and quarterly plans, capacity models, staffing, schedules, and readiness commitments for technicians, material handlers, and other technical roles.
• Standardize onboarding, instructor qualification, on-the-job training, competency assessment, certification, recertification, and skills-matrix processes.
• Lead and develop training managers, supervisors, trainers, and specialists; set expectations, build succession, and strengthen instructional capability.
• Partner with subject-matter experts to translate NPI, process changes, work instructions, quality requirements, and technology changes into training before implementation.
• Own delivery quality, LMS and certification records, audit readiness, metrics, budgets, vendors, facilities, equipment, corrective actions, and scalable blended or digital learning.

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, Organizational Development, Education, Learning & Development, Industrial Technology, or a related discipline
• 10+ years of experience in technical training, workforce development, learning programs, manufacturing operations, service operations, engineering, or related technical environments
• 3+ years leading managers, supervisors, or multi-layer technical training teams supporting operational or technical workforces
• Demonstrated experience implementing, operating, and scaling technical training and workforce-readiness programs in complex environments
• Experience deploying competency frameworks, certification programs, qualification systems, skills matrices, and instructor-qualification processes
• Experience partnering with operations, engineering, quality, regulatory, and business leaders to translate technical requirements into effective learning solutions
• Experience administering or improving learning management systems (LMS), certification-tracking systems, or workforce-development platforms

Nice to have:

• Strong understanding of adult-learning principles, instructional design, structured on-the-job training, assessment methods, and learning effectiveness
• Experience operating in regulated, quality-driven, or highly controlled environments with strong documentation and audit requirements
• Demonstrated ability to manage training capacity, competing priorities, operational changes, and workforce readiness during growth or transformation
• Demonstrated ability to use data and metrics to improve time-to-qualification, completion, utilization, effectiveness, productivity, and quality outcomes
• Strong program management, people leadership, resource planning, problem-solving, and change-management skills
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, collaboration, and influencing skills across technical and operational organizations
• Experience supporting manufacturing, service operations, logistics, distribution, healthcare, medical device, aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or another highly technical industry
• Experience leading training readiness for New Product Introduction (NPI), technology transfer, process implementation, or operational-readiness initiatives
• Knowledge of regulated environments, including FDA requirements, ISO 13485, GMP, or comparable quality systems
• Experience managing technical certification programs for manufacturing, repair, maintenance, engineering, warehouse, or field-service organizations
• Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, operational excellence, or structured problem-solving experience
• Experience supporting multi-site or global technical training programs and standardization efforts
• Experience with digital learning, simulation, automation, augmented work instructions, or enterprise capability initiatives
• Hands-on exposure to manufacturing, repair, failure analysis, warehouse operations, supply chain, or other technical work environments

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.