Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. in; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical is seeking a Mechanical Engineer in the Bay Area to design, document, and validate robotic instruments, while miniaturizing architectures to meet clinical needs. You will collaborate cross-functionally to create next-generation toolsets and ensure robust manufacturability through DFMEA and FDA-compliant design controls.

The role emphasizes hands-on development, testing fixture design, and script-based validation using MATLAB and ANSYS within multi-disciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Design, develop and document components and assemblies for robotic instruments.
• Miniaturize architectures to meet clinical needs.
• Create new architectures for reusable and disposable instruments.
• Perform DFMEA on designed parts.
• Develop testing fixtures for verification and validation.
• Collaborate with supplier engineers for high-volume manufacturing DFM.
• Develop automated testing scripts (MATLAB, ANSYS).
• Prepare Design History Files per FDA design control.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and document components and assemblies for robotic instruments.
• Miniaturize architectures to meet clinical needs.
• Create new product architectures for next generation of instruments.
• Conduct empirical confirmation and simulations to validate designs.
• Develop testing fixtures and verification strategies.
• Coordinate with suppliers for DFM and manufacturability.
• Create and manage Design History Files per FDA requirements.
• Support design reviews and root-cause analysis of issues.

Skills

Mechanical design

DFMEA

Stress analysis

Design for Manufacturing

Verification & Validation

Root cause analysis

Matlab scripting

Collaborative teamwork

QA/design control

Tools

MATLAB

ANSYS

Job description

Job Description

Primary Function of Position

Intuitive Surgical designs and manufactures highly complex mechanical systems for use in surgery. The Mechanical Engineer is responsible for developing, documenting, and validating new product designs, as well as improving existing designs to meet the needs of our customers

Essential Job Duties

• Design, develop and document components and assemblies for novel robotic laparoscopic energy/energy instruments.
• Miniaturization of existing architectures based on clinical needs.
• Create novel architectures capable of expanding surgical tool sets from soft tissue to hard and structural anatomy
• Utilize engineering fundamentals to analyze a problem, brainstorm potential solutions and conduct empirical confirmation of designs.
• Create new product architectures for next generation of reusable and disposable instruments.
• Conceptualize and analyze complex electro mechanical assemblies, create theoretical models, conducts empirical confirmation & performs computer assisted simulations
• Design and Develop mechanical parts and assemblies, with careful consideration for mechanical design, kinematics, materials (plastics & metals) and stress analysis.
• Develop testing fixtures to perform verification and validation testing of a production-level components and products.
• Collaborate with supplier engineers and vendors to optimize component DFM (injection molded and machined) required for high volume manufacturing.
• Create product functional and design specifications. Performs DFMEA on parts that are designed.
• Working collaboratively within multi-disciplinary teams to define requirements for new and current designs.
• Develop automated scripts to test new designs, fluent in use of tools such as Matlab, Anysys and Analyze and test product designs.
• Develop Design History Files per FDA requirements, understands FDA product design DOP.
• Shepherd projects through the design control process (design specification, design review, risk analysis, etc.), and support New Product Introduction personnel in initial builds (procurement, assembly, troubleshooting).
• Investigate and establish root cause of both latent and emerging design, manufacturing or material defects.
• Assess field reliability data to evaluate and improve existing product designs.
• Provide mechanical engineering sustaining support for resolution of manufacturing and field issues.
• Perform technical design reviews to solicit feedback on design progress.