Sr. Clinical Development Engineer, Multiport Instruments

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 186,000 - 268,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. is seeking a Senior Clinical Development Engineer to apply deep clinical and technical knowledge of the operating room to define, develop, and validate clinical requirements for next‑generation robotic products.

You will collaborate with design engineers and clinicians to assess clinical risks, support regulatory documentation, and help ensure patient safety and high-quality outcomes across our multi-port platforms.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in medical device industry with a Bachelor's degree, 6 years with a Master's, or 3 years with a PhD.
• Proven experience in supporting a medical product from design to launch.
• Experience working with surgeons in an operating room environment.
• Fluent in surgical terminology and knowledge of anatomy and surgical technique.
• Mechanical aptitude and spatial reasoning for complex products.
• Analytical capability to develop test methods and draw conclusions.

Responsibilities

• Apply operating room and da Vinci knowledge to become a clinical expert within the company.
• Provide a clinical voice to product development by assessing clinical performance of new products.
• Collaborate with marketing and clinicians to understand clinical needs.
• Identify and propose product enhancements through analytical methods.
• Participate in new product development teams and provide design guidance to engineers.
• Assess clinical risks and identify mitigations.
• Support regulatory documentation and submissions.
• Contribute to user manuals and training documentation.

Skills

Medical device experience

Operating room collaboration

Anatomy knowledge

Mechanical intuition

Analytical test methods

Clinical product lifecycle

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

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

Primary Function of the Position

The Senior Clinical Development Engineer (CDE) uses their in-depth knowledge of the surgical environment and medical technology to work with design engineers and clinicians to define, develop, and validate the clinical function of new products within our multi-port robotic platforms. The primary focus of the CDE is to establish and validate data-driven clinical requirements to ensure a high-quality patient outcome.

Essential Job Duties

• Apply in-depth knowledge of the operating room environment and of the da Vinci Surgical Systems to become an expert within the company on the clinical application of Intuitive's products
• Provide a clinical voice to product development by defining and assessing clinical performance of new products
• Collaborate with marketing partners and clinicians to identify and understand clinical needs
• Use an analytical approach to identify potential product enhancements and new product ideas
• Take an active role in new product development teams, including contributing to design reviews, and providing design guidance to engineering design teams
• Assess and document clinical risks, and identify appropriate mitigations
• Conduct pre-clinical testing to validate the safety and efficacy of new products
• Support regulatory documentation and submissions
• Provide subject matter expertise to user manual and training documentation development
• Support clinical evaluation of new products at key customer sites
• Maintain current knowledge of clinical applications of Intuitive's products
• Keep Intuitive's vision and values at the forefront of decision making
• Perform other duties as required to support the company's overall strategy and goals

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in medical device industry with a Bachelor's degree, 6 years experience with a Master's degree, or 3 years with a PhD degree
• Proven experience in supporting a medical product from design to launch
• Experience working with surgeons in an operating room environment
• Fluent in surgical terminology and sound knowledge of anatomy and surgical technique
• Mechanical aptitude and intuition for spatial relations, including the ability to understand complex mechanical products
• Analytical capability and practical skills to develop test methods and draw conclusions

Nice to have

• Excellent teamwork skills with proven ability to cultivate collaboration across multiple disciplines
• Effective communication skills (verbal, written, presentation)
• Proven success recognizing critical issues and driving them to closure by taking coordinated action
• Self-starter needing minimal supervision
• Self-confident and able to react quickly under pressure

Working Conditions

• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time

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 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: $186,100 USD - $267,900 USD

Base Compensation Range Region 2: $158,200 USD - $227,700 USD

Shift: Day

Workplace Type: Set Schedule - This job will be onsite weekly, the percentage of onsite work will be defined by the leader.