Senior Mechanical Design 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 the Position

Intuitive Surgical designs and manufactures highly complex mechanical systems for use in surgery. These systems include both capital equipment and “consumables” in the form of surgical instruments and accessories. The Senior Mechanical Engineer for Core Instruments will be a lead member and mentor within a team responsible for sustaining engineering of a broad portfolio of currently marketed instruments in the field.

The candidate will drive initiatives to identify performance, cost, and reliability improvements for Intuitive’s surgical instruments, and complete and guide others in the development, documentation, and verification of these improvements. The candidate will have both the technical depth to resolve complex mechanical, materials and manufacturing design issues and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team to troubleshoot and establish root cause of higher-level system issues. A proven sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required as well as a commitment to high product quality. The candidate will help to identify and evaluate new technologies in light of customer and company needs, establish design requirements to meet customer needs, work with suppliers and other outside companies and consultants to realize viable technical solutions, and refine designs for existing product, as well as inform design solutions for new products. He/she/they must excel in a high-energy team environment and be capable of creative problem solving when faced with the time pressures and incomplete information. The successful candidate must have outstanding technical depth in relevant areas and be as comfortable collaborating and leading across organizational boundaries as they are working exclusively.

Essential Job Duties

• Serve as lead technical designer on cross-functional project teams to design, develop and verify modifications to surgical instruments and accessories.
• Investigate and establish root cause of both latent and emerging design, manufacturing or material defects
• Develop, implement, test and document solutions for these defects according to corporate standard and departmental operating procedures
• Investigate clinical requirements
• Provide mechanical engineering support for resolution of field and manufacturing issues
• Support the CAPA and continuous improvement projects and quality/regulatory audits as required
• Establish personal goals consistent with overall project goals

Technical leadership

• Act as technical Drive on component and assembly redesign efforts
• Mentor and train less experienced engineers in the art of sustaining engineering and mechanical design
• Review mechanical engineering designs of other Intuitive engineers in both a formal and informal capacity
• Lead or assist other design engineers through brainstorming, detailed reviews, and collaborative problem-solving, resulting in compelling product architectures
• Provide detailed input to project planning, including goals, budgets, staffing, schedules, milestones, etc.
• Make recommendations to senior management about the direction, activities, and staffing of ongoing projects, as well as recommendations and proposals for new product/project opportunities
• Identify resource gaps and make recommendations to address issues and prioritize

Required Skills and Experience

• Exceptional aptitude with an emphasis on theoretical fundamentals
• High Proficiency using software like 3D CAD to design mechanisms; SolidWorks preferred (3D design & surfacing), Matlab, Finite Element Analysis (such as Ansys/ Pro Mechanica)
• Programming in Matlab to interface with electro-mechanical assemblies and perform data analysis
• Demonstrated knowledge of component manufacturing processes such as high volume injection molding, machining, wire EDM, MIM, heat treatment, electropolish, brazing, laser welding, etc.)Experience creating prototypes and evaluating designs via testing and rigorous analysis
• Project Management experience a plus
• Comfortable in dissecting electrical assemblies and sensors
• Comfortable with all phases of the product development lifecycle including design, implementation, debugging, verification, qualification, and transfer
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Comfortable operating machine shop equipment
• Exceptional understanding of component selection criteria, and design for reliability and manufacturability
• Prefer medical device experience
• Process development and assembly instructions

Required Education and Training

• Minimum BSME required
• Minimum 6 years of industry experience designing commercial mechanical products with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Biomedical Engineering, or minimum 8 years of industry experience with a Bachelor’s degree

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience and skills in design of high volume (e.g. injection molded, MIM) components, and design for manufacturability preferred

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 Employment 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.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.

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.

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.