Staff Software Build Engineer

Intuitive; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 190,300 - 223,900; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive in Sunnyvale, CA seeks a hands-on Staff Software Engineer to design, build, and operate the next-generation unified build system across robotic platforms.

The role focuses on blazing performance, contributing Rust, C/C++, Python code, mentoring engineers, and shaping scalable build infrastructure in safety-critical environments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional software engineering with hands-on ownership.
• Deep, practical Bazel expertise in complex C/C++ and embedded environments.
• Experience implementing Bazel Remote Caching and Remote Execution at scale.
• Strong programming in Rust, C/C++, and Python.
• Experience debugging distributed build systems, CI pipelines, and build infra.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Bazel-based build systems for large-scale C/C++ embedded software.
• Implement and optimize Bazel Remote Caching and Remote Execution across local, CI, and cloud environments.
• Write production code in Rust, C/C++, and Python for build tooling and infrastructure services.
• Own and improve build performance (cache hits, parallelism, reproducibility).
• Build and maintain developer-facing tooling to speed local iterations and CI reliability.
• Integrate build infra across on-prem and cloud, balancing performance, security, cost.
• Collaborate with firmware, platform, and application teams to fix build issues.
• Improve observability with metrics, logging, analytics.
• Mentor engineers via code reviews and architectural discussions.
• Advocate modern, scalable build practices.

Skills

Build ownership

Distributed builds

Rust

C/C++

Python

Mentoring

Technical leadership

Education

Master’s or PhD in CS or related field

Tools

Bazel

Nix

Yocto

BuildBuddy

REAPI

Job description

• Ways of Working: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.
• Employee Type: Employee
• Min. Salary Region 1: 223900 USD
• Global Job Level (HCM): Professional 5 (13)
• Min. Salary Region 2: 190300 USD

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

The Software Build team at Intuitive is seeking a hands‑on Staff Software Engineer to design, build, and operate the next‑generation unified build system across all robotic surgery platforms.

This role is for an experienced engineer who writes code, debugs real build failures, prototypes infrastructure, and scales systems through direct technical contribution. You will own core build architecture while remaining deeply involved in implementation—driving measurable improvements in build speed, correctness, and developer productivity across large, safety‑critical C/C++ codebases.

You will serve as a technical leader and mentor, but this is not an oversight‑only role. Expect to spend significant time designing build rules, implementing tooling, debugging distributed builds, and evolving CI infrastructure in production.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Bazel‑based build systems for large‑scale C/C++ embedded software, including custom toolchains and cross‑compilation flows.
• Directly implement and optimize Bazel Remote Caching and Remote Execution (RBE) to enable fast, deterministic builds across local, CI, and cloud environments.
• Write production code in Rust, C/C++, and Python to support build tooling, infrastructure services, and developer workflows.
• Own and evolve build performance: cache hit rates, execution parallelism, dependency hygiene, hermeticity, and reproducibility.
• Build and maintain developer‑facing tooling that improves local iteration speed and CI reliability.
• Integrate and operate build infrastructure across on‑premises and cloud environments, balancing performance, security, and cost.
• Work directly with firmware, platform, and application teams to debug real‑world build issues and eliminate systemic bottlenecks.
• Improve observability of build systems through metrics, logging, and analytics.
• Mentor engineers through code reviews, architectural discussions, and hands‑on problem solving.
• Act as a technical advocate for modern build practices and scalable development workflows.

Qualifications

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience with a strong record of hands‑on technical ownership.
• Deep, practical expertise with Bazel in complex C/C++ and embedded environments.
• Proven experience implementing and operating Bazel Remote Caching and Remote Execution at scale.
• Strong programming experience in Rust, C/C++, and Python.
• Experience debugging and optimizing distributed build systems, CI pipelines, and build infrastructure under real production constraints.
• Solid understanding of compiler toolchains, linkers, and build graph behavior.
• Ability to communicate technical tradeoffs clearly and influence teams through technical leadership.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with Nix and Nix‑based packaging for reproducible builds and developer environments.
• Familiarity with BuildBuddy (or similar Bazel observability / remote execution platforms).
• Experience with Yocto‑based toolchains and embedded Linux build workflows.
• Exposure to REAPI‑compatible execution backends and remote build infrastructure.
• Experience supporting safety‑critical or regulated software systems (medical, automotive, aerospace).
• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Computer Science or related field.

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.

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.

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.

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