Senior FPGA Engineer - Surgical Robotics

Intuitive; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 179,000 - 257,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Incentives

Job summary

Intuitive is seeking a Senior FPGA Engineer for the da Vinci Surgical System to develop and support advanced FPGA solutions from concept to launch. You will work on video processing, high-speed communications, and embedded compute integration while balancing system and product requirements.

The position requires deep Verilog/SystemVerilog expertise, hands-on FPGA design, and strong collaboration with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality surgical devices.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years designing electronic devices with FPGA or 6 years with a Master's.
• Proficiency with Verilog for synthesis and verification.
• Experience with Xilinx FPGA families: Spartan, Artix, Virtex, Kintex, UltraScale, Ultrascale+ MPSoC.
• Experience with Xilinx design tools: ISE, Vivado, ModelSim, TCL scripting, Chipscope/ILA, Microblaze.

Responsibilities

• Develop FPGA implementations for video signal processing, DMA, high-speed communications, sensor integration, motor control.
• Write FPGA RTL in Verilog and SystemVerilog.
• Integrate, debug and support the product after launch.
• Create design documentation and verification protocols.
• Lead technical design on cross-functional teams for new surgical devices.
• Collaborate with quality and regulatory processes.

Skills

Verilog

FPGA design

Xilinx FPGA

Vivado

ModelSim

TCL scripting

Chipscope/ILA

MicroBlaze

SoC (Zynq)

ARM cores (SoC)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree

PhD (optional)

Tools

ISE

Vivado

ModelSim

Chipscope/ILA

Job description

Senior FPGA Engineer - Surgical Robotics

• Full-time
• Shift: Day
• Max. Salary Region 2: 218600 USD
• Max. Salary Region 1: 257200 USD
• Ways of Working: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.
• Employee Type: Employee
• Min. Salary Region 1: 178800 USD
• Global Job Level (HCM): Professional 4 (11)
• Min. Salary Region 2: 152000 USD

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.

The Senior FPGA Engineer will develop and support innovative surgical devices and accessories for the da Vinci Surgical System, from concept to launch and beyond, with shared responsibility and shared reward. The successful candidate will understand user needs and requirements, balance individual product-level requirements with system-level requirements, developing complex FPGA solutions for communications, video, control processing and other advanced capabilities, and commit to the highest product quality.

• FPGA implementations of one or more of the following: video signal processing, DMA, high-speed communications, sensor integration, motor control, and integration of modern embedded computing modules.
• Develop all FPGA RTL in Verilog and System Verilog.
• Integrate, debug and support the product after launch.
• Write detailed design documentation, including specifications and verification protocols.
• Serve as lead technical designer on cross-functional project teams to develop new world-class surgical devices and accessories.
• Collaborateand support the quality and regulatory processes.

Required Education, Skills & Experience

• Minimum of 8 years ofexperience designing electronic devices with FPGA's and a Bachelor's degree; or 6 years of experience and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years of experience; or equivalent experience
• Proficiencywith Verilog for both synthesis and verification
• Proficiency in FPGA design or front-end IC design
• Experience working with Xilinx FPGA families such as: Spartan, Artix, Virtex, Kintex, UltraScale and Ultrascale+ MPSoC
• Experience with Xilinx FPGA design tools (such as ISE, Vivado, ModelSim, TCL scripting, Chipscope/Integrated Logic Analyzer (ILA), Microblaze compiler, etc.)
• In-depth knowledge of FPGA architecture, design, verification, and debug (Xilinx)

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience with SoC including (e.g.,Zynq with ARM cores) and soft processors (e.MicroBlaze) is desirable
• Experiencewith Gigabit ethernet, DDR3/DD4, DSP implementations on FPGAs
• Effectively use of troubleshooting and measurement equipment like oscilloscopes, multimeters, function generators, custom test platforms, spectrum analyzer, etc.
• Extensive experience working at all phases of the product lifecycle, from concept to continuous improvement (sustaining)

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.

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.

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].

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.