Staff AI Engineer – Applied Research

Socket.dev; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical is seeking a Staff AI Engineer – Applied Research to help shape AI capabilities for surgical robotics, leading end-to-end lifecycle from research through production.

You will collaborate across engineering, product, regulatory and clinical teams to align AI strategy with real-world needs, translate operatory requirements, and advance state-of-the-art methods into reliable, safe features for the platform.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s in CS, Robotics, Biomedical Engineering or related with focus on DL/Computer Vision/Embodied AI.
• 10+ years AI/ML development, 4+ years from research to productization.
• Experience shaping product vision and tech roadmaps for AI in product-driven orgs.
• Experience across engineering, product, regulatory, clinical.

Responsibilities

• Shape the AI product vision and maintain a multi-year AI capability roadmap.
• Support prototyping, pilot testing, and transition of research models into production-ready capabilities.
• Coordinate cross-functional program planning across product, engineering, data, regulatory and clinical teams.
• Translate operative needs into technical requirements for AI-enabled features.
• Collaborate on data strategy with data engineering and privacy teams.
• Contribute to regulatory and safety strategy for AI capabilities.
• Provide technical guidance bridging hardware, clinical affairs, and commercial strategy.
• Stay current with leading-edge AI for surgical robotics; contribute to reviews, publications and patent activity.
• Mentor engineers and researchers to elevate team capabilities.

Skills

AI/ML development

Deep Learning

Computer Vision

Embodied AI

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Edge computing

Robotics integration

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD or Master’s in CS/Robotics/BME focusing on DL/Computer Vision/Embodied AI

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Robotic systems integration

Job description

The Staff AI Engineer – Applied Research will report to the VP Research in the Future Forward organization. This is a high-impact individual contributor role at the forefront of AI-enabled surgical robotics.

The primary purpose of this role is to help shape the product vision for advanced AI capabilities and facilitate the end-to-end program development lifecycle — from early research through transition to product. Working as part of a collaborative, flat team structure, the Staff AI Engineer will partner cross-functionally with engineering, product, regulatory, and clinical colleagues to explore what AI-enabled features should exist, contribute to technical feasibility assessments, and help build alignment across stakeholders to bring those capabilities from concept to production readiness.

Success in this role requires deep technical fluency in AI/ML, strong product-thinking skills, and the ability to build consensus and foster collaboration across teams. This is a role for a technically excellent contributor who thrives at the intersection of vision, strategy, and hands-on execution within a partnership-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Help shape the AI product vision: Contribute to and help maintain a multi-year AI capability roadmap, identifying key milestones for feature releases in partnership with Intuitive platform product teams. Inform the broader AI strategy and collaborate with peers to align resources pragmatically to demonstrate feasibility and value.
• Facilitate early-stage AI product development: Support prototyping, pilot testing, and the transition of research-grade models into production-ready capabilities, serving as a key technical contributor and thought partner throughout.
• Facilitate cross-functional program coordination: Act as a connective thread across product, engineering, data, regulatory, and clinical stakeholders, helping ensure AI initiatives advance through collaborative planning and milestone-driven delivery.
• Bridge clinical practice to development: Ability to communicate effectively with surgeons and clinical staff to translate operative needs into technical requirements.
• Contribute to data strategy: Partner with data engineering and privacy teams to develop approaches for the collection, curation, and de-identification of high-fidelity surgical datasets, ensuring compliance with global privacy standards and minimizing algorithmic bias.
• Collaborate on regulatory and safety strategy: Work alongside regulatory and product partners to inform strategy and technical implementation ensuring safe and effective advanced capabilities.
• Serve as a trusted technical resource: Help bridge the gap between hardware engineering, clinical affairs, and commercial strategy, providing thoughtful technical guidance on AI to colleagues and senior leadership.
• Advance the state of the art: Stay current with leading-edge capabilities in surgical AI. Evaluate emerging techniques and technologies. Contribute to internal technical reviews, publications, and patent activity.
• Support and elevate the team: Share knowledge and elevate the collective technical capabilities of AI engineers and researchers through collaborative technical reviews, architecture discussions, and peer mentorship within the team's flat structure.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field with a focus on Deep Learning, Computer Vision, or Embodied AI.
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in AI/ML development, with at least 4 years focused on contributing to the journey of AI capabilities from research through productization.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to product vision and technical roadmaps for AI capabilities in a product-driven organization.
• Experience working across multi-disciplinary programs spanning engineering, product, and regulatory functions.
• Deep expertise with modern ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow), edge computing for low-latency inference, and integration of AI with physical robotic systems or actuators.
• Ability to communicate effectively with surgeons and clinical staff to translate operative needs into technical requirements.
• Proven ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and help align cross-functional teams through influence and partnership.
• Strong track record of thriving in fast-paced environments, navigating the inherent uncertainty of early-stage AI research while helping maintain a disciplined path to commercialization.
• Experience contributing to technical direction, helping define success metrics, and communicating outcomes to peers and leadership.

Preferred

• Experience with medical device product development and familiarity with regulatory frameworks (FDA, MDR) for AI/ML-based software.
• Familiarity with ethical AI practices and responsible AI deployment.
• Proven skills in quantitative analysis and data-driven decision making.
• Experience with intellectual property fundamentals (patents, trade secrets).
• Track record of publications or conference presentations in relevant AI/ML domains.
• Experience with reinforcement learning, planning algorithms, or multi-modal AI (vision + language + robotics).

Additional Information

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.

Shift: Day

Workplace Type: Onsite – This job is fully onsite in the Sunnyvale campus.

Travel: ~15%, some international

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 employeeswho 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’sstart 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 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.

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.

Were 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.

The Future Forward organization is Intuitive’s advanced concepts group. We explore emerging technologies, prototype next-generation solutions, and build software experiences that shape the future of robotic-assisted surgery.

If you're ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you'll find your purpose here.