Principal Metals & Materials Engineer – Medical Devices

Intuitive; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer in Sunnyvale to lead metallurgical initiatives for high‑performance instruments. You will evaluate materials, qualify processes, and guide reliability improvements for the da Vinci system and related devices.

The role focuses on wear, surface engineering, failure analysis, and regulatory readiness, partnering with Design, Manufacturing, and Quality teams to deliver safer, more durable surgical tools.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in metallurgy of high‑performance alloys.
• Strong working knowledge of material selection criteria as applied to precision mechanical components with a focus for design for reliability and manufacturability.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate, select, and qualify metallic materials for new and existing instrument designs, driving improvements in reliability and cost.
• Lead studies to characterize wear mechanisms, friction behavior, and surface interactions under simulated surgical conditions.
• Conduct and direct failure analysis investigations on field returns and manufacturing rejects using fractography, metallographic analysis and other techniques.
• Develop and optimise surface treatments, coatings, and passivation processes to enhance corrosion resistance and extend instrument life.
• Design and execute material characterization test protocols (hardness, tensile, fatigue, corrosion) to support verification/validation.
• Innovate and improve material applications and manufacturing processes (MIM, machining, forging, laser processing) for precision and safety.
• Collaborate with Mechanical Design, Manufacturing Engineering, and Quality Engineering to incorporate materials solutions and resolve production issues.
• Develop simulation/characterization methodologies to model material behavior and inform design decisions.
• Perform risk analysis and document requirements/test protocols for FDA/ISO regulatory approvals.
• Provide technical mentorship to engineering staff on metallurgy and design principles.

Skills

Metallurgy of alloys

Failure analysis

Material selection for reliability

Metallographic analysis

Fractography

Surface engineering

Design for manufacturability

Wear testing

Regulatory compliance (FDA ISO 13485)

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

SEM

EDS

XRD

Optical microscopy

Job description

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer in Sunnyvale to lead metallurgical initiatives for high‑performance instruments. You will evaluate materials, qualify processes, and guide reliability improvements for the da Vinci system and related devices.

The role focuses on wear, surface engineering, failure analysis, and regulatory readiness, partnering with Design, Manufacturing, and Quality teams to deliver safer, more durable surgical tools.