Staff Mechanical Engineer (Flexible Instruments)

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.

Were 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.

The Future Forward organization is Intuitive’s advanced concepts group. We explore emerging technologies, prototype next-generation solutions, and build software experiences that shape the future of robotic-assisted surgery.

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 Staff Mechanical Engineer, Advanced Energy, will serve as a technical and design lead for the development of advanced energy products and/or sub-systems at Intuitive. This role is responsible for driving early concept exploration through commercialization translating ambiguous clinical/technical needs into robust architectures, and leading rapid prototype iteration to de-risk key technical challenges. They will have both the technical depth to resolve complex mechanical, material, and manufacturing design issues as well as the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team to troubleshoot and root cause higher level system issues. They must have strong technical depth in relevant areas and have a track record of successful product development efforts. Using their subject matter expertise, exceptional communication skills and cross-functional collaboration, they will investigate and develop advanced energy applications for novel clinical applications across our robotic surgical systems.

This person thrives in a small, high-energy team, takes end-to-end ownership, and consistently delivers high-quality prototypes, data-driven decisions, and scalable designs. A strong sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required as well as a commitment to high product quality.

Essential Job Duties

• Work in a small, cross-functional project team to design, develop and verify new concepts for advanced energy catheters and/or flexible electromechanical instruments
• Define early product architecture, interfaces, and design requirements; translate feasibility prototypes into scalable products
• Develop, implement, test and document new solutions, processes, and designs according to corporate standards and departmental operating procedures
• Hands-on assembly and testing of devices to support proof of concept, design development, pre-clinical and V&V activities
• Investigate and determine root cause of emerging design or manufacturing defects/failures.
• Development and documentation of design and manufacturing documentation including inspection procedures, assembly instructions, test methods, purchase specifications, BOMs, part and assembly drawings using appropriate change control procedures
• Collaborate with clinical engineering team to assess product concepts and do tradeoff analysis of proposed designs and feature sets
• Partner with testing engineering and NPI to define verification approaches, ensure design outputs are measurable, and support design transfer
• Observe clinical cases and participate in interviews with clinical experts to inform designs; provide support for pre-clinical labs and clinical cases
• Establish individual goals consistent with overall project goals
• Performs other duties as required to support the company's overall strategy and goals

Required Skills and Experience

• Typical minimum of 12 years of relevant experience, minimum 8 years with a masters
• Demonstrated success as a technical lead (and/or design lead) in cross-functional R&D teams, influencing decisions across engineering, testing, clinical, quality and manufacturing.
• Demonstrated ability to originate novel concepts and rapidly convert ideas into functional prototypes to evaluate technical feasibility and clinical value
• Proven track record operating in highly ambiguous environments with limited data, effectively identifying key risks and prioritizing experiments to accelerate learning
• Demonstrated ability to determine what to prototype versus what to analyze, balancing speed, risk reduction, and long-term scalability
• Expertise in structured problem-solving and rapid design iteration cycles (build–test–learn)
• Deep technical experience across multiple catheter and flexible instrument design domain such as shaft construction (coil/braids, liners, jackets), adhesives/bonding, sealing/insulation strategies, electrical component integration, thermal management considerations etc.
• Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping methods for flexible instruments and associated components, including 3D printing, plastics processing, metal fabrication, and bench-level assembly
• Proficiency in CAD-based mechanical design (SolidWorks preferred)
• Experience with all phases of the product development lifecycle; including proof-of-concept, design, implementation, debug, verification, qualification, and transfer
• High autonomy and ability to work independently under limited supervision to determine and develop approach to solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to clearly present tradeoffs, risks, and technical rationale to varied audiences.
• Experience with FDA QSR 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, ISO 14971 and other related standards

Required Education and Training

• Minimum education: BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Biomedical Engineering or related engineering or scientific discipline, or equivalent work experience

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with energy delivery devices is a strong plus
• Experience with flexible electromechanical device development is a strong plus
• Understanding of medical system integration and interfaces is a plus

Working Conditions

• Must be available to work full-time and commute/relocate to Sunnyvale, CA
• Up to 10% travel. Some international travel may be required.
• Primary Location: Sunnyvale, CA

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.

Accommodation & Accessibility Notice:

Intuitive is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance or an accommodation during any part of the application or interview process, please contact People Services at [email protected].

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.