Staff Power Electronics Design Engineer

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 283,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. seeks a Staff Power Electronics Design Engineer for its Future Forward group. You will design high-voltage, high-frequency SMPS for medical applications, guiding architecture, and ensuring patient and operator safety.

You’ll own from concept through deployment, collaborating with firmware, hardware, and test teams to deliver robust solutions. We expect 12+ years in power electronics, with 10+ years at master’s level or 5+ years with PhD, and a strong background in HV

Qualifications

• Expert-level experience in high-voltage, high-frequency SMPS design.
• Strong background in digitally controlled power systems using DSPs, microcontrollers, and FPGAs.
• Deep understanding of power conversion topologies, magnetics, insulation, thermal management, and high-voltage safety.
• Experience applying safety, EMC, and regulatory requirements in the medical device industry or related.
• Proven ability to operate autonomously and make architecture-level technical decisions.

Responsibilities

• Define system-level architectures for high-voltage (>5kV), high instantaneous power, digitally controlled power supplies.
• Lead design trade-offs across topology, control strategy, output waveform flexibility, magnetics, insulation, and thermal design.
• Establish best design practices for power electronics and high-voltage systems that meet medical device safety standards.
• Develop and validate advanced simulation models for complex power systems, including dynamic loads.
• Validate performance of developed solutions through simulations, prototyping, and testing.
• Guide digital power control strategies, working with firmware, software, and test engineers on stability and safety.
• Own the design and board layout from concept through testing, production and field deployment.
• Own documentation for Design History Files, Test Reports, and BOM management.
• Partner with system architecture, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to ensure safe, compliant, scalable designs.
• Lead technical risk assessments and ensure compliance with safety, EMC, and regulatory standards.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead design/architecture reviews for HV power electronics designs.

Skills

High-voltage SMPS design

Digital power systems (DSPs, MCUs, FPG

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (preferred)

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.

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.

Job Description

Primary Function of Position

We are seeking a Staff Power Electronics Design Engineer for Intuitive's advanced R&D group (Future Forward). This role is focused on developing high voltage, high frequency switch mode power electronics systems for medical applications.

As a Staff Engineer, you will operate with broad autonomy and influence, guiding device architecture based on system requirements, and solving the challenging power electronics problems in the organization. Success in this role is defined by system robustness, patient and operator safety, long-term technology impact, and ability to deliver on an aggressive timeline.

Essential Job Duties

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Define system-level architectures for high-voltage (> 5kV), high instantaneous power, digitally controlled power supplies.
• Lead design trade-offs across topology, control strategy, output waveform flexibility, magnetics, insulation, and thermal design.
• Establish best design practices for power electronics and high-voltage systems that meet medical device safety standards.

Advanced Design & Development

• Develop and validate advanced simulation models for complex power systems, including those sourcing into highly dynamic and reactive loads.
• Validate performance of developed solutions through simulations, prototyping, and testing.
• Guide digital power control strategies, working with firmware, software, and test engineers on stability, performance, robustness, and medical device safety.
• Provide deep technical expertise in root-cause analysis of complex electrical, control, and reliability issues.

Product & System Ownership

• Own the design and board layout from concept through testing, production and field deployment.
• Own the technical documentation that is vital for medical device compliance (Design History Files, Test Reports, and BOM management).
• Partner with system architecture, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to ensure safe, compliant, scalable, and manufacturable designs.
• Lead technical risk assessments and ensure compliance with safety, EMC, and regulatory standards.

Mentorship & Influence

• Mentor junior engineers, raising the technical bar across the organization.
• Lead design and architecture reviews for high-voltage power electronics designs.

Qualifications

Technical Expertise

• Expert-level experience in high-voltage, high frequency switch-mode power supply (SMPS) design.
• Strong background in digitally controlled power systems using DSPs, microcontrollers, and FPGAs.
• Deep understanding of power conversion topologies, magnetics, insulation systems, thermal management, and high-voltage safety.
• Deep understanding of power semiconductors devices, their control, packaging, and thermal management.
• Experience applying safety, EMC, and regulatory requirements in the medical device industry or related (automotive, semiconductor).

Professional Capabilities

• Proven ability to operate autonomously and make architecture-level technical decisions.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex systems across multiple product generations.
• Exceptional analytical and troubleshooting skills for ambiguous, cross-disciplinary problems.

Experience

• 12+ years of progressive experience in power electronics or electrical engineering product development (10+ years with a Master's degree, 5+ years with Ph.D.).
• Experience in medical device capital equipment, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, plasma systems, industrial power, or high-voltage applications strongly preferred.

Education

• Bachelor's or Masters's degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related field (required)
• Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Power Electronics or related discipline (preferred)

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: $196,800 USD - $283,200 USD

Base Compensation Range Region 2: $167,300 USD - $240,700 USD

Shift: Day

Workplace Type: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.