Senior Clinical Development Engineer

It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies—like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion—have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.

We’re a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.

The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful—because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.

If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you’ll find your purpose here.

Primary Function of the Position

The Senior Clinical Development Engineer (CDE) uses their in-depth knowledge of the surgical environment and medical technology to work with design engineers and clinicians to define, develop, and validate the clinical function of new products within our single-port robotic platforms. The primary focus of the CDE is to establish and validate data-driven clinical requirements to ensure a high-quality patient outcome.

Essential Job Duties

• ​​Apply in-depth knowledge of the operating room environment and of the da Vinci Surgical Systems to become an expert within the company on the clinical application of Intuitive’s products
• ​Provide a clinical voice to product development by defining and assessing clinical performance of new products 
• ​Collaborate with marketing partners and clinicians to identify and understand clinical needs 
• ​Use an analytical approach to identify potential product enhancements and new product ideas
• ​Take an active role in new product development teams, including contributing to design reviews, and providing design guidance to engineering design teams
• ​Assess and document clinical risks, and identify appropriate mitigations
• ​Conduct pre-clinical testing to validate the safety and efficacy of new products
• ​Support regulatory documentation and submissions
• ​Provide subject matter expertise to user manual and training documentation development
• ​Support clinical evaluation of new products at key customer sites
• ​Maintain current knowledge of clinical applications of Intuitive’s products
• ​Keep Intuitive’s vision and values at the forefront of decision making
• ​Perform other duties as required to support the company’s overall strategy and goals

Required Skills and Experience

• ​Minimum of 8 years of experience in medical device industry with a Bachelor’s degree, 6 years experience with a Master’s degree, or 3 years with a PhD degree
• Proven experience in supporting a medical product from design to launch
• ​Experience working with surgeons in an operating room environment
• ​Fluent in surgical terminology and sound knowledge of anatomy and surgical technique
• VoC experience with sugeons to discuss products and workflow  
• ​Excellent mechanical aptitude and intuition for spatial relations, including the ability to understand complex mechanical products

Nice to haves: 

• ​Excellent analytical capability and practical skills to develop test methods and draw conclusions
• ​Excellent teamwork skills with proven ability to cultivate collaboration across multiple disciplines 
• ​Effective communication skills (verbal, written, presentation)
• ​Proven success recognizing critical issues and driving them to closure by taking coordinated action
• ​Self-starter needing minimal supervision
• ​Self-confident and able to react quickly under pressure

Required Education and Training

• ​​Minimum of Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or similar; advanced degree preferred

Working Conditions ​

• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, internationally and domestic

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.

This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on
business need and/or on the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills.
Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the
candidate’s qualifications, consistent with applicable law.

Accommodation & Accessibility Notice:

Intuitive is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance or an accommodation during any part of the application or interview process, please contact People Services at HRHelpNow@intusurg.com.

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.