Staff Research 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

The Staff Research Engineer will report to the VP Research in the Future Forward organization. The Future Forward team is responsible for creating new technologies and applications within Intuitive. This role involves leading small technical teams through market definition, product specification, and early engineering development for new technology-based instruments and platforms.

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.

Essential Job Duties

• Understand clinical needs and explore technical solutions.
• Develop components and systems for complex surgical platforms.
• Lead research and development plans and partner in financial performance strategy.
• Prioritize tasks across internal projects and processes.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to determine direction for new products.
• Represent projects in interactions with collaborators and stakeholders across the company.

Required Skills and Experience

• Successful experience in hospital-based healthcare technology realization.
• Strong ability to define project plans and resource requirements to achieve technical objectives, including project management, tracking and reporting. 
• Hands-on and adept at designing and implementing technical solutions across the full stack of development, with consideration for hardware, architecture, software, and controls.
• Proven ability to provide technical and tactical leadership.
• Ability to lead technically complex, high visibility/high impact projects.
• Strong communication skills with key opinion leaders, regulatory authorities, and customers.
• Robust problem-solving skills and critical thinking. 
• Evidence of successful leadership of highly capable technical professionals.

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor's degree or higher in an engineering, scientific, or healthcare-related discipline 20.

• 15+ years of progressive people and operations leadership experience.
• MBA or equivalent business operational leadership is a plus.
• Proven skills in quantitative analysis and data-driven decision making.
• Experience with intellectual property fundamentals.
• Willingness to travel: 10% travel / some international.

Working Conditions

• None.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Leadership of health technology projects from inception through field validation to launch.
• Previous experience and understanding of financial management and budget planning.

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.