Senior FPGA Engineer – Imaging

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.

Reporting to the Manager of FPGA – Imaging, this Engineer will play a role in delivering best-in-class image/video processing solutions for our da Vinci systems (and other robotic platforms), as part of an excellent cross-functional team. The engineer in this position will work with the broader Vision and EE teams to architect, implement and verify image sensor interfaces and image processing algorithms on FPGAs / FPGA SoCs deployed on the platform. This includes components in the entire processing chain, photon-to-photon: from image sensor data acquisition to stereo (and mono) displays.

The ideal candidate will possess a proven background in FPGA-based video/image processing with exposure to typical image processing algorithms and image sensor interfaces – implementation and evaluation with the trade-offs between visual quality, performance, and FPGA resource utilization in mind.

Responsibilities

• Architect high-performance image/video processing pipelines in FPGAs
• Implement designs using (System)Verilog and verify in simulation and on hardware
• Partner with cross‑functional experts to drive balanced trade‑offs across resources, cost, performance, and practicality to deliver optimal video processing architectures.
• Collaborate on improvements to FPGA design and verification methodology; explore avenues to reduce development and verification time
• Investigate and evaluate new FPGA / FPGA-SoC platforms for low-latency video processing

Required Education, Skills & Experience

• 8+ years of FPGA experience and a Bachelor's degree; or 6+ years of experience and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3+ years of experience
• Experience with SystemVerilog, C (or C++) and a scripting language such as Python or TcL
• Understanding of and experience with high-speed digital design and associated challenges
• Foundation in using FPGA build tools such as: AMD/Xilinx, Intel and/or Lattice
• Foundation in using FPGA simulation tools, environments and in test bench development
• Understanding of static timing analysis / timing constraints
• Experience with FPGA part and pin selection process
• Experience with video I/O standards and interfaces: HDMI, DisplayPort, MIPI CSI‑2/DSI, SDI; integration of vendor/IP cores
• Experience with revision control software e.g. Git
• Experience with Intel Agilex / Stratix, AMD Versal devices is a plus

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.