NPD Engineer

Socket.dev; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical seeks an experienced engineer to drive end-to-end medical device development. You will collaborate across mechanical, electrical, software, and clinical teams, translating needs into designs and leading prototypes through transfer to manufacturing.

Travel up to 20% is required. Biomedical regulations and design controls are part of daily work as you help ensure safe, reliable, manufacturable products in a regulated environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in new product development, product design, manufacturing engineering, or a related engineering role.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary technical teams, Product Development, and Clinical Development to translate clinical, customer, and user needs into engineering requirements, specifications, and product designs.
• Lead and support new product development activities across mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical systems from concept through design transfer and commercialization.
• Rapidly develop, prototype, test, and iterate full-scale mechanical and electromechanical prototypes to meet product requirements and performance objectives.
• Design cables, mechanical components, assemblies, and electromechanical interfaces, and generate detailed engineering drawings, specifications, and documentation suitable for volume manufacturing.
• Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Reliability (DFR) principles to develop scalable and cost-effective product designs.
• Develop and maintain product documentation including mechanical drawings, BOMs, specifications, assembly documentation, and engineering change documentation within a regulated environment.
• Drive system integration builds, debugging, verification, and testing, identifying and resolving mechanical, electrical, and system-level issues.
• Develop a strong understanding of overall system architecture, functional interactions, and interdependencies between mechanical, electrical, software, and other subsystems.
• Lead and facilitate technical trade-off analyses for component selection, including COTS components, manufacturability, reliability, availability, and risk.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Automation teams to develop fixtures, tooling, assembly processes, and manufacturing methods for new products.
• Support the development and optimization of assembly processes and manufacturing equipment to enable efficient and repeatable volume production.
• Work closely with suppliers, Sourcing, and Buyers to evaluate component and manufacturing capabilities, resolve technical issues, and ensure designs are aligned with supplier processes and capabilities.
• Support design transfer and product transfer to manufacturing, ensuring engineering requirements, drawings, specifications, processes, and documentation are complete and production-ready.
• Provide hands‑on engineering support during pilot builds, production builds, and product ramp, troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, component, and process‑related issues.
• Identify root causes of production and component problems and implement corrective and preventive actions to improve product quality, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Support verification and validation activities, including test planning, fixture development, test execution, and analysis of results.
• Work within applicable quality and regulatory processes, ensuring product development and manufacturing activities comply with company procedures and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, and cross‑functional technical reviews, contributing to FMEA, risk management, and design control activities as required.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Clinical, Sourcing, and external suppliers to drive projects toward key milestones.
• Help establish and achieve individual and team technical goals aligned with overall project objectives and company strategy.

Skills

Product development

Mechanical design

Electromechanical

Prototyping

System integration

DFM/DFA

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional teamwork

Documentation

GD&T

Electrical systems

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical/Industrial Eng or similar (5+ yrs)

Master's degree +3 yrs

Tools

SolidWorks

Electrical CAD

Job description

Essential Job Duties

This role works closely with Mechanical, electrical, Software,clinical, electrical, industrial design, supplier engineering, quality and manufacturing teams to ensure designs of medical equipment meet clinical and user needs and perform reliably and effectively in the field. In this position, you will be part of a team of talented engineers in a focused, high energy, collaborative work environment, challenged to make sound decisions when faced with time pressures and ambiguous or incomplete information typical of issue troubleshooting and product development. You will be expected to use design and analytical skills to conceptualize, develop, and productize product design.

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary technical teams, Product Development, and Clinical Development to translate clinical, customer, and user needs into engineering requirements, specifications, and product designs.
• Lead and support new product development activities across mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical systems from concept through design transfer and commercialization.
• Rapidly develop, prototype, test, and iterate full-scale mechanical and electromechanical prototypes to meet product requirements and performance objectives.
• Design cables, mechanical components, assemblies, and electromechanical interfaces, and generate detailed engineering drawings, specifications, and documentation suitable for volume manufacturing.
• Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Reliability (DFR) principles to develop scalable and cost-effective product designs.
• Develop and maintain product documentation including mechanical drawings, BOMs, specifications, assembly documentation, and engineering change documentation within a regulated environment.
• Drive system integration builds, debugging, verification, and testing, identifying and resolving mechanical, electrical, and system-level issues.
• Develop a strong understanding of overall system architecture, functional interactions, and interdependencies between mechanical, electrical, software, and other subsystems.
• Lead and facilitate technical trade-off analyses for component selection, including COTS components, manufacturability, reliability, availability, and risk.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Automation teams to develop fixtures, tooling, assembly processes, and manufacturing methods for new products.
• Support the development and optimization of assembly processes and manufacturing equipment to enable efficient and repeatable volume production.
• Work closely with suppliers, Sourcing, and Buyers to evaluate component and manufacturing capabilities, resolve technical issues, and ensure designs are aligned with supplier processes and capabilities.
• Support design transfer and product transfer to manufacturing, ensuring engineering requirements, drawings, specifications, processes, and documentation are complete and production-ready.
• Provide hands‑on engineering support during pilot builds, production builds, and product ramp, troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, component, and process‑related issues.
• Identify root causes of production and component problems and implement corrective and preventive actions to improve product quality, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Support verification and validation activities, including test planning, fixture development, test execution, and analysis of results.
• Work within applicable quality and regulatory processes, ensuring product development and manufacturing activities comply with company procedures and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, and cross‑functional technical reviews, contributing to FMEA, risk management, and design control activities as required.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Clinical, Sourcing, and external suppliers to drive projects toward key milestones.
• Help establish and achieve individual and team technical goals aligned with overall project objectives and company strategy.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of experience in new product development, product design, manufacturing engineering, or a related engineering role.
• Strong hands‑on experience with mechanical and electromechanical product development.
• Experience developing products from concept/prototype through design transfer and volume manufacturing.
• Proficiency in mechanical design and engineering drawing practices, including GD&T, tolerancing, BOM development, and design documentation.
• Working knowledge of electrical systems, cable/harness design, connectors, sensors, motors, PCBs, and electromechanical components.
• Experience with rapid prototyping, system integration, debugging, and hands‑on testing.
• Strong understanding of DFM/DFA and manufacturing processes, including machining, injection molding, sheet metal, assembly, and/or cable/harness manufacturing.
• Experience working with suppliers and manufacturing partners on component design, manufacturability, quality, and technical issues.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot complex mechanical, electrical, and system‑level problems.
• Ability to work effectively in a cross‑functional, multidisciplinary team environment.

Required Education and Training

Minimum B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering or similar with 5 years of experience or Master’s degree plus 3 years.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience developing products in a medical device or other highly regulated industry.
• Experience working within FDA/ISO‑regulated product development and quality systems.
• Experience with design controls, risk management, verification/validation, and design transfer.
• Experience with CAD tools such as SolidWorks or equivalent.
• Familiarity with electrical CAD tools and cable/harness design.
• Experience developing manufacturing fixtures, tooling, jigs, and assembly automation.
• Experience with pilot builds, NPI, production ramp.
• Curiosity and excitement to learn new subjects and get to the bottom of tough technical problems.

Working Conditions

Ability to travel up to 20% time.

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 employeeswho 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.

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.

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 [e-mail].

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.