Senior Clinical Research Manager

At Intuitive, we are united behind our mission: we believe that minimally invasive care is life-enhancing care. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints.

As a pioneer and market leader in robotic-assisted surgery, we strive to foster an inclusive and diverse team, committed to making a difference. For more than 25 years, we have worked with hospitals and care teams around the world to help solve some of healthcare's hardest challenges and advance what is possible.

Intuitive has been built by the efforts of great people from diverse backgrounds. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere. We strive to foster an inclusive culture built around diversity of thought and mutual respect. We lead with inclusion and empower our team members to do their best work as their most authentic selves.

Passionate people who want to make a difference drive our culture. Our team members are grounded in integrity, have a strong capacity to learn, the energy to get things done, and bring diverse, real world experiences to help us think in new ways. We actively invest in our team members to support their long-term growth so they can continue to advance our mission and achieve their highest potential.

Join a team committed to taking big leaps forward for a global community of healthcare professionals and their patients. Together, let's advance the world of minimally invasive care.

The Team

The Advanced Research team at Intuitive is a cross-functional team dedicated to the creation of innovative medical technologies and robotic systems. We develop transformational technologies in order to address the major pain points and unmet needs in healthcare. Our goal is to revolutionize the future of healthcare by developing platforms and technologies that empower providers and teams to deliver life-enhancing care. 

Primary Function of the Position 

The Senior Clinical Research Manager uses their in-depth clinical, scientific, and procedural knowledge to evaluate and develop needs-based solutions for new or adjacent markets for the company. This individual is responsible for developing clinical strategies and de-risking pathways for novel technology platforms. They play a key role in developing transformational clinical applications and collaborate closely with team members in regulatory, reimbursement, finance, product management, and beyond to develop clinical indications and commercialization strategies.
Essential Job Duties

Clinical product development 

• Collaborate and foster relationships with opinion leaders, subject matter experts, physicians, and other stakeholders to identify clinical goals and translate those needs for user-centric design and development of new platforms, procedures, instruments, and accessories 
• Perform in-depth clinical outcomes research and analysis of new procedures and technologies
• Drive clinical research for disease states and medical technologies associated with new business opportunities for Intuitive, applying in-depth knowledge in order to become an expert within the company for new clinical procedures and applications 
• Work closely with engineers and cross-functional teams to define clinical performance goals and potential risks for new products in early-phase development
• Develop and execute clinical derisking pathways including both pre-clinical and clinical feasibility studies working with regulatory, quality, clinical affairs, tech pubs, etc
• Contribute to market development and segmentation for new clinical applications and procedures

Clinical innovation and procedure development 

• Identify and drive product ideations through needs-based solution development 
• Translate clinical needs into market and product requirements 
• Develop novel procedures and workflows for new technologies
• Design, develop, and execute clinical evaluations of prototypes with the ability to translate feedback to the engineering team for technology acceleration and development  
• Contribute to the development of intellectual property for novel clinical applications and technologies
• Work with academic researchers to develop research objectives and aims to advance technology

Other

• Keep the organization’s vision and values at the forefront of decision making and action
• Perform other duties as required to support the company's overall strategy and goals

Required Skills and Experience Qualifications 

• Demonstrated ability to identify and validate unmet clinical needs through observation, research, and clinical immersion
• Experience partnering with physicians and healthcare providers to gather actionable feedback on product performance and clinical utility
• Skilled in leading voice-of-customer interviews to inform and guide early-stage product development
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a track record of developing and testing clinical hypotheses and synthesizing insights into clear conclusions
• Proven ability to foster cross-functional collaboration across engineering, clinical, regulatory, and business teams to drive project milestones
• Demonstrated success in identifying critical path issues and leading coordinated actions to resolution
• Highly self-motivated with the ability to work independently and proactively in a fast-paced environment
• Strong communication skills, including verbal, written, and presentation abilities, with the ability to convey complex clinical concepts to diverse audiences
• Ability to remain composed and decisive under pressure

Required Education and Training 

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree required
• Residency training in a surgical or interventional specialty (e.g., general surgery, cardiology, interventional radiology, etc.)
• Biodesign or equivalent needs-based innovation training

Working Conditions: 

• Must be available to work full-time onsite in Sunnyvale, CA 
• Standard office environment
• May require occasional travel to clinical sites, customer locations, or conferences (up to 25%)
• May involve standing or walking for extended periods during clinical observations or procedures
• Must be able to lift up to 20 lbs occasionally (e.g., for transporting prototypes or equipment)
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must comply with all applicable hospital or clinical site safety and credentialing requirements (e.g., vaccination, PPE)
• Up to 25% travel with some international travel required. 
• We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer.
• We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Product development and design controls experience
• Intellectual property development and patent assessment 

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

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 salary ranges are listed.