Sr Compensation Business Partner

Intuitive Surgical; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical in Sunnyvale, CA, seeks a senior Compensation Partner to lead complex compensation programs for global client groups, including manufacturing and executive compensation. You will translate business priorities into market-informed strategies and collaborate with HR and leaders.

The role emphasizes governance, equity, AI-assisted analysis, and developing scalable programs, with mentorship and partnership across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance, or related field; 12+ years of compensation experience.
• Deep knowledge of market pay practices, governance, and internal equity.
• Strong analytical skills and business acumen to translate data into recommendations.
• Advanced Excel and analytical modeling skills.
• Foundational AI literacy and using AI-enabled tools responsibly.
• Proven team orientation and collaboration in a matrix organization.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities with meticulous attention to detail.
• Strong influencing and communication skills with senior leaders.
• Independent self-starter comfortable with ambiguity.

Responsibilities

• Develop compensation solutions aligning with business priorities and talent strategy.
• Prepare executive-ready analyses and decision-support materials.
• Design and scale compensation programs and governance.
• Advise HR and business leaders across client groups.
• Monitor market practices for base, variable, equity, and offers.
• Evaluate base pay, variable pay, and equity designs against guidelines.
• Provide scalable approaches for recurring business needs.
• Use AI-enabled tools to improve analysis while maintaining human oversight.
• Mentor Compensation team members on methodologies and best practices.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Communication

Problem solving

AI literacy

Project management

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance, or related field

Tools

Excel

Data modeling

AI tools

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 Position:

This position is a senior member of the Compensation Business Partner team, reporting to the Director, Global Compensation. The Sr Compensation Partner serves as a trusted advisor to HR and business leaders, translating business priorities into practical, market-informed compensation strategies and solutions for assigned global client groups, currently including Manufacturing, Future Forward, and the Chief Medical Office. This role requires a deep understanding of each organization’s business model, talent strategy, and workforce needs, with the ability to apply compensation philosophy, market intelligence, internal equity, and governance principles to support sound decision-making.

This position will also contribute to compensation program development, which includes annual salary structure design, compensation planning, equity programs, executive compensation, and other enterprise compensation initiatives. In partnership with HR business leaders and partners, this role will communicate, train, and deliver compensation programs to aligned client groups. The incumbent will lead and consult on complex HR and Compensation-related projects, develop executive-ready recommendations, frame tradeoffs, and influence leaders at all levels. As an active member of the corporate compensation team, this individual will provide support, mentorship, and guidance to other team members as well.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Develop a deep understanding of Intuitive’s business models, talent priorities, and workforce strategies to develop practical, business-aligned compensation solutions that support talent attraction, retention, performance, and internal equity
• Develop executive-ready analysis, recommendations, and decision support materials that clearly frame business context, compensation considerations, risks, tradeoffs, and recommended actions
• Design, enhance, and scale compensation programs, processes, tools, and frameworks that address complex business needs and improve enterprise scalability
• Serve as a credible Compensation advisor, influencing and advising HR and business leaders across assigned client groups
• Monitor emerging compensation trends and market practices to provide expert consulting on base salary, variable pay, equity, retention, offers, promotions, and organizational design decisions
• Evaluate current and proposed base pay, variable pay, and equity program design for alignment to established guidelines, compensation philosophy, job architecture, market data, internal equity, and policy guardrails
• Provide timely, consultative support on emerging business needs and develop scalable approaches where recurring needs are identified
• Use approved AI-enabled tools responsibly to improve compensation analysis, workflow efficiency, communications, and executive-ready deliverables while maintaining human review, data privacy, confidentiality, and sound business judgment
• Coach and mentor Compensation team members by sharing methodologies, best practices, and practical guidance on complex compensation matters

Qualifications

Skills, Experience, Education, & Training:

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance, or related field preferred; 12+ years of relevant compensation, Total Rewards, HR, or business advisory experience
• Deep knowledge of competitive market pay practices, compensation program design, job architecture, internal equity, compensation governance, pay equity considerations, regulatory requirements, and confidentiality expectations, with strong external networking skills
• Robust analytical skills and business acumen, with the ability to assess implications of actual and planned activities and translate insights into practical recommendations that add value to management decisions
• Advanced Excel and analytical modeling skills, with the ability to synthesize large data sets into clear insights, recommendations, and decision-ready materials
• Foundational AI literacy and ability to use approved AI-enabled tools responsibly to improve analysis, process efficiency, and communication quality while maintaining ownership of final recommendations and business judgment
• Proven team orientation with a collaborative style, flexible demeanor, and ability to balance detailed execution with a broader enterprise perspective
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently under conditions of multiple deadlines and changing priorities to produce a large volume of high-quality material with meticulous attention to detail
• Strong influencing skills with the ability to communicate clearly and confidently when advising senior leaders
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with advanced problem-solving orientation, sound judgment, and proven ability to develop, present, and justify recommendations to all levels within the company
• Independent self-starter with the ability to successfully manage multiple priorities and navigate ambiguity in a sophisticated matrix structure

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.

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.

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.