Senior Systems Software Engineer

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.

Primary Function of Position

We are seeking a skilled and passionate Systems Software Engineer with a strong background in real-time OS systems to join our R&D team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software that runs on our next-generation medical devices, with a specific focus on Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and Linux-based platforms. This role requires a deep understanding of low-level software, hardware-software integration, and the ability to work within a highly regulated development environment.

Essential Job Duties

• Embedded Software Development
  • Design, develop, and maintain embedded software in C/C++ for real-time and safety-critical applications on medical devices.
  • Work with and contribute to software running on Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) like [e.g., ThreadX, SafeRTOS, QNX] and embedded Linux distributions like [e.g., Yocto, Buildroot].
  • Develop and implement device drivers, board support packages (BSPs), and other low-level firmware to interface with custom hardware.
  • Optimize software for performance, memory usage, and power consumption on resource-constrained embedded platforms.
• Systems Integration
  • Collaborate closely with hardware engineers to define software requirements, troubleshoot hardware-software integration issues, and ensure seamless system functionality.
  • Debug and validate software using a range of tools, including in-circuit debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers.
  • Participate in the bring-up and testing of new hardware prototypes and custom boards.
• Architecture & Design
  • Contribute to the software architecture and technical design of new products and features, ensuring designs are robust, scalable, and maintainable.
  • Apply knowledge of software design methodologies and design patterns to produce high-quality, reusable code.
• Verification & Compliance
  • Develop and execute unit tests, integration tests, and system-level tests to ensure software reliability and compliance with design specifications.
  • Adhere to software development lifecycle processes and documentation standards required for medical device regulation (e.g., IEC 62304).
  • Participate in risk analysis and contribute to the software risk management file (per ISO 14971) to identify and mitigate software-related hazards.
• Documentation & Collaboration
  • Generate and maintain clear, well-structured technical documentation, including software requirements specifications, design documents, and test reports.
  • Work effectively in a cross-functional team environment, collaborating with systems engineers, quality assurance, and clinical specialists.
  • Utilize version control systems (e.g., Git) and bug tracking tools (e.g., Jira) as part of an agile or waterfall development process.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in embedded software development.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming for embedded systems.
• Hands-on experience with Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) such as ThreadX, SafeRTOS, QNX, etc.
• Experience with embedded Linux, including kernel configuration, driver development, and application development in the user space.
• Solid understanding of hardware-software integration and the ability to read and understand schematics and datasheets.
• Experience with communication protocols commonly used in embedded systems (e.g., SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, USB, Ethernet, TCP/IP).
• Familiarity with medical device regulations and standards, particularly IEC 62304 (Medical device software – Software lifecycle processes).
• Experience with debugging tools (e.g., JTAG/SWD debuggers, GDB), and hardware testing equipment.
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Required Education and Training 

• Minimum BSc degree in Computer science or adjacent technical field with 8 years of experience, or master’s degree with 6 years of experience, or PhD degree with 3 years of experience.

Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Experience with safety-critical or high-reliability systems development.
• Knowledge of scripting languages like Python for automated testing and build processes.
• Experience with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Familiarity with other relevant standards such as ISO 13485 (Quality Management System) and ISO 14971 (Risk Management).
• Experience with multi-threaded, event-driven programming.
• Knowledge of embedded security principles and practices.

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 compensation ranges are listed.