Principal Research 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.

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.

Principal Research Engineer reporting to the VP Research in the Future Forward organization.   The Future Forward team is responsible for creating new technologies and applications within Intuitive. This is an exciting opportunity for an elite electromechanical medical technologist to contribute to a technical team focused on developing new solutions to address significant unmet patient needs. The Principal Research Engineer will work cross-functionally to drive product definition and formative development activities in support of new or emerging applications.

Success in this role requires contributing solutions at the highest level of technical proficiency through exceptional engineering execution that is responsive to market definition, product specification, and early engineering development requirements for new technology-based instruments and platforms, from inception to formal program launch. The candidate must thrive in a small, focused team environment, drive solutions from rough requirements and iterative prototypes, and commit to high product quality prioritizing patient safety. Quick learning and understanding requirements from both user and engineering perspectives are essential. A sense of shared responsibility and reward, along with making work engaging, is necessary. The Principal Research Engineer additionally improves the overall company performance through proactive mentoring, active interest in the development of more junior engineers, and engineering contributions to needs broadly across the product portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Working independently and collaboratively to understand clinical needs and explore technical solutions, contributing to early-stage product development and business validation.
• Develop components and systems for complex surgical platforms with embedded software and hardware, coordinate cross-functional project stakeholders, and define project scope, schedule, milestones, and delivery for feasibility studies, regulatory clearances, and other medical technology requirements.
• Lead in developing research and development plans and partner in financial performance strategy, product KPI impact strategy as well as associated field validation studies for your program.
• Prioritize tasks across internal projects and processes to meet functional and business objectives.  Be proficient in the use of project planning, goal setting, resource coordination, hiring, budgeting, and spend management to effectively achieve development objectives.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to determine direction for new products, processes, standards, and operational plans based on business strategy.
• Represent projects in interactions with external collaborators and internal company members.

Experience and Abilities

• Successful experience in hospital-based healthcare technology realization from initial customer need identification through product launch.
• Proven ability to provide technical, and tactical leadership for staff and peers, in startup medical technology environment within a larger organization (entrepreneurship).
• Proven ability to hold both a program vision and drive effective tactics to achieve objectives; ability to lead a complex, high visibility/high impact project with multiple sub-teams within the program.
• Proven ability to engage key stakeholders and actively seek ways to leverage technology to better address opportunities and challenges.
• Evidence of strong communication both within a team and with key opinion leaders (KOL’s), regulatory authorities and customers.
• Evidence of successful leadership relative to a team of highly capable technical professionals.
• Evidence of robust problem-solving skills and critical thinking.

Additional helpful attributes/experiences

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in an engineering, scientific or healthcare-related discipline
• Requires 20+ years of progressive technical experience in applied development settings
• Leadership of technical program contributions from inception through field validation to launch; Strong understanding of medical product ecosystem services.
• Proven skills in quantitative analysis and data-driven decision making
• Experience with intellectual property fundamentals
• Demonstrated capacity to relate to all levels of employees

• Willingness to travel:  10% travel / some Intl.

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.

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.