Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 283,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. in Sunnyvale, CA, seeks a Senior Machine Learning Engineer focused on computer vision, deep learning, generative AI and robotics to join a new AI engineering team.

You will drive research and deployment, transforming ideas into prototypes and products for next-generation robot-assisted surgery. The role requires leading AI methods, collaborating with clinicians, and delivering scalable pipelines across vision and multimodal data, with opportunities for patents and

Qualifications

• Master's degree with minimum 6 years industry experience developing computer vision and machine learning applications; or PhD with minimum 3 years experience.
• Strong understanding and experience in building effective learning systems (data collection, training, evaluation and iterative improvements).
• Strong publication track record in CVPR/ICCV/MICCAI, etc.
• Hands-on experience with TensorFlow or PyTorch; Python, C/C++ and shell scripting.
• Familiarity with control systems, robotics, kinematics, dynamics; multi-threaded programming; GPU-accelerated algorithms.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI algorithms for computer vision (image/video analysis) and multimodal data.
• Contribute to surgical AI and robotics pipelines; test and evaluate vision action models.
• Develop prototypes from idea to running product and infrastructure.
• Advance algorithms across vision, robotics, and multi-modal data fusion.
• Publish research成果 and develop validation methods for large clinical datasets.
• Collaborate with users and clinical advisors to iterate designs based on feedback.

Skills

Computer Vision

Machine Learning

Deep Learning

Python

C/C++

TensorFlow

PyTorch

GPU Acceleration

Multimodal Data

Robotics

Education

Master's degree in CS/EE or related field

PhD in CS/EE or related field

Tools

CUDA

Git

Linux

Job description

Company Description

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.

Job Description

The AI Engineering group within Intuitive Surgical has an immediate opening in Sunnyvale, CA for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer with focus on Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Generative AI and Robotics, contributing to new technology development for next‑generation robot‑assisted surgery platforms. This role is an exciting opportunity to join a newly formed team and contribute to its growth and it will give you an opportunity to test your knowledge in a challenging problem‑solving environment.

The successful candidate must excel in a high-energy, focused, small‑team environment, be able to initiate and drive new research directions, and have a commitment to high research quality. A strong sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required.

Primary Function of Position

• Lead the research, design, and implementation of AI algorithms for computer vision (image and video analysis), multimodal data, and action models
• Contribute to surgical AI and robotics pipelines; integrate, test, and evaluate accuracy bottlenecks of vision action (VA), and vision language action (VLA) models
• Lead development of effective techniques and infrastructure, from the initial idea to the running prototype and product.
• Contribute to research projects that develop a variety of algorithms and systems in computer vision, robotics, and multi‑modal data fusion.
• Advance the state‑of‑the‑art in the field, including generating patents and publications.
• Develop validation methods, datasets, pipelines, and evaluation metrics to show scalability to large clinical datasets.
• Participate in integration of new ML/CV algorithms into existing and future robotic platforms.
• Collaborate with users and clinical advisors to iterate prototype designs based on feedback and performance.
• Develop new technologies and digital products to improve surgeon and team performance on robotic surgery platforms.
• Support academic collaborations in related fields.

Qualifications

Required Education, Skills & Experience

• Master's degree with minimum of 6 years industry experience developing computer vision and machine learning applications; or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering or related field and minimum of 3 years of experience
• Strong understanding and experience in building effective learning systems (data collection, training, evaluation and making iterative improvements).
• Strong publication track record in conferences like CVPR, ICCV, MICCAI, etc.
• Strong hands‑on experience with at least one of the mainstream deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Strong hands‑on experience with Python (proficiency), C/C++ (proficiency), shell scripting
• Familiarity with control systems, robotics, kinematics, and dynamics.
• Strong engineering practices, debugging/profiling skills, familiarity with multi‑threaded programming.
• Strong hands‑on experience with GPU accelerated algorithms and implementations.
• Strong hands‑on experience with state‑of‑the‑art AI models, VFMs, or vision action models.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Interested in early phases of product exploration and iteration based on incomplete requirements.
• Solid understanding of computer vision, machine learning, generative models, and deep learning.
• Experience with visualization tools is a plus.
• Self‑starter and able to work in a collaborative and results‑oriented environment.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (5-15%)
• Able to view live and recorded surgical procedures.

Additional Information

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 (email protected) .

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.

Base Compensation Range Region 1: $196,800 USD - $283,200 USD

Base Compensation Range Region 2: $167,300 USD - $240,700 USD

Shift: Day

Workplace Type: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.