Hardware Test Engineer 2

Intuitive; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive in Sunnyvale, CA seeks a Test Engineer for the New Product Verification Department to ensure safe, reliable robotic surgical products and accessories. The role focuses on verification, validation, and process quality across da Vinci and Ion platforms.

You will develop verification plans, write protocols, and collaborate with Design, Clinical, and Production teams to verify designs and resolve issues. A BS in engineering and 2+ years of experience are required.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering.
• 2+ years in an engineering or research environment.
• Experience in medical devices or pharmaceutical industry preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop high level verification and validation test plans for instrument, accessories, and vision projects.
• Generate and own test protocols for Design Verification and Life/Reliability tests.
• Collaborate with Design and Clinical teams to verify design requirements.
• Execute test protocols for surgical simulation and automated testing with robotic systems.
• Document test results clearly in test reports.

Skills

Teamwork

Fast learner

Self-motivated

Good communication

Education

BS in Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Arduino

SolidWorks

Job description

Intuitive Overview

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 Position

The New Product Verification Department is devoted to assuring safe, reliable, and effective products that exceed patient, surgeon, and hospital expectations. The department plays a vital role in product and process quality, in new product development and production, and in the quality of da Vinci and Ion robotic product lines, including diagnostic systems, endoscopic instrumentation, and supporting accessories. The Test Engineer will work with a team of dedicated individuals within a product development team to assure the quality of new designs, to identify issues related to new designs and processes, and to work with other Test Engineers to develop harmonized test methods.

Roles & Responsibilities

Test Protocol Development, Execution & Reporting

• Develop high level verification and validation test plans for instrument, accessories, endoluminal, or vision projects
• Generate and take ownership of test protocols for Design Verification and Life/Reliability tests
• Collaborate with Design and Clinical teams to develop test methods needed to ensure design requirements are sufficiently verified
• Execute test protocols for clinically-based surgical simulation and automated testing utilizing da Vinci surgical system, Ion Systems and/or other test equipment
• Identify and present problems that arise during feasibility and design verification testing, and escalated new or persistent failure modes to appropriate engineering teams
• Collaborate with appropriate engineering teams on the failure investigation and root cause analysis
• Clearly document test results and observations in test report

Test Fixture Development

• Design test fixtures and other test aids needed to perform Design Verification and Life/Reliability tests
• Identify processes and test methods that could benefit from new or updated fixture designs
• Work with other engineers to develop concepts and approaches to fixture design
• Responsible for documentation of fixtures utilizing SolidWorks; release of documents into Agile

Other Responsibilities

• Effectively translate the functional requirements into appropriate acceptance criteria for test cases and test methods.
• Train test technicians on test methods and procedures
• Ensure successful, on‑time completion of department projects; communicate constraints to direct management when successful project completion is at risk
• Comply with company Department and Standard Operating Procedures
• Verify and ensure adequate supply of test articles and other equipment or material

Skills, Experience, Education & Training

Education and/or Experience

• Minimum BS in Mechanical, Biomedical Engineering or similar degree
• Minimum 2+ years work experience in an engineering organization or research team environment
• Prefer experience within medical device or pharmaceutical industry

Technical Skills

• Familiarity with equipment needed to perform typical performance measurements on electro‑mechanical systems
• Some basic knowledge of electrical systems, test equipment, and test practices is desirable
• Experience using tools and measuring equipment (Force Gauge, Calipers, Instron, Oscilloscopes etc.)
• Ability to perform the basic mechanical engineering calculations needed to support equipment design, including dimensional analysis
• Experience with MATLAB, Python, Arduino is a plus
• Experience with SolidWorks or similar CAD software is highly preferred

Other skills and abilities

• Proactive and self‑motivated engineer
• Must be a quick learner with the ability understand complex products and processes
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Ability to work independently and with minimum supervision
• Ability to multitask, and handle tasks with competing priorities effectively
• Ability to work with biological samples, including blood, tissue and organs
• Familiar with GDP

Integrity

• Accepting and adhering to high ethical, moral, and personal values in decisions, communications, actions, and when dealing with others

Travel

Role is set schedule and based in Sunnyvale, California. Ability to travel (10%) as needed to support programs at other facilities

Equal Opportunity Employer

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

Work Location

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

Compensation

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. 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 the 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.