Software Engineer

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 153,000 - 221,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. is seeking a Software Engineer to build a modern Data as a Service platform powering Digital products for thousands of engineers. You will own real-time and micro-batch data pipelines and help enable high-throughput, low-latency data delivery across the organization.

You will define architecture, implement APIs, and mentor teams while modernizing legacy processes to accelerate product development and analytics at scale.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a technically demanding role with strong CS/engineering background.
• Proficient in two or more languages (Python/Go/Scala/C++/Java) and software design.
• Experience building data pipelines with distributed systems (Spark, Kafka, Airflow).
• Bachelor's or master's degree in CS/IT or related field.

Responsibilities

• Design and build scalable Data as a Service that ingests, processes, and serves data in real time and batch modes.
• Develop and maintain robust APIs, data services, and tooling for internal teams.
• Collaborate with engineering, analytics, and business stakeholders to evolve data contracts and models.
• Implement CI/CD practices for data services, including automated data quality testing.
• Champion a self-service data culture with discoverable, well-documented data products.
• Mentor teammates and push best practices across the data domain.

Skills

Python

Go

Scala

C++

Java

Distributed systems

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science / IT

Tools

Apache Spark

Kafka

Elasticsearch

Snowflake

Airflow

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

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

We're looking for a Software Engineer who is passionate about building a modern, scalable Data as a Service (DaaS) platform that powers Intuitive's Digital products and supports over 2,000 engineers across the organization. In this role, you will own and evolve critical components of our real-time and micro-batch data pipelines that power product development, internal tools, and analytics.

Your work will focus on enabling high-throughput, low-latency data delivery through streaming pipelines, dynamic transformations, and APIs, driving discoverability, accessibility, and actionable insights. You will help define the architecture and engineering practices that support self-service analytics and operational decision-making on scale.

As a catalyst for change, you will be at the forefront of reimagining how engineering teams consume and interact with data. Long-term success in this role means building robust, efficient systems and replacing legacy processes with modern solutions that allow teams to move faster, with greater confidence and autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Design and build scalable, distributed Data as a Service that ingest, process, and serve data from robotics, manufacturing, engineering, and clinical sources in real time and batch modes.
• Develop and maintain robust APIs, data services, and tooling to provide internal teams with secure, efficient, and intuitive access to high-quality data.
• Partner with engineering, analytics, and business stakeholders to evolve data contracts and models that support emerging use cases and ensure semantic consistency.
• Implement CI/CD practices for data services, including automated testing for data quality, service reliability, and schema evolution.
• Championing a self-service data culture by building discoverable, well-documented data products and guiding teams toward empowered, autonomous data access.
• Act as a technical leader within the data domain driving best practices, mentoring teammates, and continuously improving how data is produced, shared, and consumed across the organization.

Qualifications

Key Skills & Experience:

• Solid quantitative background in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Math, or 3+ years of hands‑on experience in a technically demanding role.
• Proficient in at least two major programming languages such as Python, Go, Scala, C++, or Java, with a strong understanding of software design and architecture.
• Proven experience building data pipelines and working with distributed systems using technologies like Apache Spark, Kafka, Elasticsearch, Snowflake, and Airflow.
• Strong collaborator who actively contributes to code reviews, system design discussions, sprint planning, and KPI evaluations to drive team excellence and technical quality.
• Minimum a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field.

Bonus Points:

• Experience working on Data Platform or Infrastructure Engineering teams.
• Hands‑on experience with AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Kafka, Elasticsearch, Apache Airflow, Snowflake, and Terraform.
• Familiarity with CI/CD best practices for DataOps and deployment automation.

About the Data Services Team

We are a rapidly growing organization made up of Software and Data Engineers, with a strong DevOps culture, focused on building a next-generation Data as a Service (DaaS) platform. We are seeking a strong technical lead who is passionate about designing scalable, real-time data systems that deliver high-quality, trusted data across the company.

Our platform leverages technologies such as Apache Kafka for real-time data ingestion, Apache Flink for stream processing and transformation, Snowflake for scalable warehousing, and AWS as our cloud backbone. We focus on serving data via APIs and event streams to enable on-demand access, analytics, and machine learning across product and engineering teams.

This is a newly formed group with a mandate to drive meaningful change by enabling fast, reliable, and consistent access to data. We aim to eliminate organizational silos and foster a strong culture of collaboration and ownership. If you see a high-leverage solution to a long-standing data problem, we support tearing down legacy systems and building the right solution provided you have a strong plan and the drive to make it happen.

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: $153,300 USD - $220,700 USD

Base Compensation Range Region 2: $130,300 USD - $187,600 USD

Shift: Day

Workplace Type: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.