Staff Mechanical 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 the Position

Intuitive Surgical designs and manufactures highly complex mechanical systems for use in surgery. These systems include both capital equipment and “consumables” in the form of surgical instruments and accessories. The Staff Mechanical Engineer for Instrument and Accessory Advanced Product Development will be a member of a small team responsible for exploring and developing early product concepts and technologies that will help feed the da Vinci product pipeline. The successful candidate will lead early assessment, design, development, sourcing, testing, and integration of novel concepts for instrument and accessory related products.

The candidate will help to identify and evaluate new candidate technologies, establish design requirements and create novel designs to meet customer needs, work with suppliers and other outside companies to realize viable technical solutions, and refine designs for transfer to the New Product Development organization. He/she/they must excel in a high-energy team environment and be capable of creative problem solving when faced with the time pressures and incomplete information typical of early-stage product development. The successful candidate must have outstanding technical depth in relevant areas and be as comfortable collaborating and leading across organizational boundaries as they are working independently.

Essential Job Duties

• Work within cross-functional project teams to create, evaluate, and prove out new product architectures and refine them for hand off to new Product Development

• Collaborate with subject matter experts to understand the clinical, usability, and other needs of users of da Vinci systems as they relate to surgical instruments and accessories. Assist with market research and surgeon discussions around concepts, approaches, and procedures

• Develop technical requirements for designs based on an understanding of customer needs, commercial objectives (e.g. cost of goods), regulatory requirements, and feasibility constraints

• Perform conceptual design, detailed design, analytical modeling, prototyping, data analysis, and troubleshooting of novel instruments and accessories for the da Vinci robotic surgical system

• Develop and perform early design verification and validation testing, with assistance from other functions as needed

• Assist with clinical evaluation of prototypes by supporting bench, ex-vivo, and in-vivo laboratory testing

• Provide written protocols, reports, and presentations related to design activities on an ongoing basis

• Refine and document product designs as needed to support successful transfer into the new product development organization

Technical leadership

• Act as technical lead on product development projects

• Mentor and train less experienced engineers in the art of product development and mechanical design

• Review mechanical engineering designs of other Intuitive engineers in both a formal and informal capacity

• Lead or assist other design engineers through brainstorming, detailed reviews, and collaborative problem-solving, resulting in compelling product architectures

• Develop and manage relationships with key partners and suppliers

• Assess technologies from outside entities for potential licensing and adaptation to the da Vinci product line

• Identify, test, and report on new materials, manufacturing processes, and technologies that could benefit existing products or enable new product designs

• Provide detailed input to project planning, including objectives, budgets, staffing, schedules, milestones, etc.

• Make recommendations to senior management about the direction, activities, and staffing of ongoing projects, as well as recommendations and proposals for new product/project opportunities

• Identify resource gaps and make recommendations to address issues and prioritize

Other Functions

• Document, prepare and review patent submissions

• May supervise or direct the activities of others

Required Skills and Experience

• Twelve (12) years of experience in mechanical product design, or eight (8) years with MS, five (5) with PhD

• Extensive experience taking products from concept to production. Medical and/or regulated product experience highly preferred

• Familiarity with all phases of the product development lifecycle including design, implementation, debug, verification, validation, qualification, and transfer

• Understanding of mechatronics, robotics, and servo-controlled systems strongly preferred. Experience developing software control algorithms a plus

• Proven ability to apply the basic laws of physics to understand and achieve quick and reliable solutions to engineering problems

• Exceptional mechanical aptitude and visual thinking skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills such as finite element analysis, statistics, and experimental designs

• Experience with and knowledge of a wide range of prototyping processes, both rapid and conventional with a variety of metallic and non-metallic materials

• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills. Ability to present to a wide range of audiences, including senior executives

• Ability to interface with customers and potential business partners in a highly professional manner

• Proven ability to work well in a team environment and drive individual projects. Experience managing external partners, suppliers, and small project teams

• Proficiency using CAD to create and document mechanical designs. SolidWorks preferred

• Proficient with hands-on development work for electromechanical products:

  • Operating standard machine shop equipment for prototyping (mill, lathe, etc.)

  • Techniques for rapidly fabricating proof-of-concept and functional prototypes

  • Standard mechanical and electrical measurement and test equipment

Required Education and Training

• BS (Mechanical Engineering or related engineering field) required, MS or PhD preferred

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience and skills in design of high volume (e.g. injection molded, MIM) components, and design for reliability and manufacturability strongly preferred

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.