Staff Software Engineer, Platform

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

Job summary

Intuitive is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to build backend services and APIs that power our robotic platforms and workflows. You will lead design and implementation across services, ensuring scalable, testable, and maintainable solutions with strong API contracts.

The role requires 8+ years in software engineering, expertise in REST/GRPC, relational databases like PostgreSQL, and experience with AWS, Docker/Kubernetes, and CI/CD practices. On-site work in Sunnyvale, CA is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in CS or related field.
• Minimum 8 years of software engineering experience.
• Experience with backend services or API development.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, and operate backend services and APIs that support our robotic platforms and application workflows.
• Architect and develop service capabilities such as remote configuration management, software updates, service workflows, and telemetry data ingestion.
• Implement comprehensive unit, integration, and end-to-end testing within CI pipelines.
• Drive CI/CD, observability, and operational practices for small, frequent, high-confidence releases.

Skills

Backend services

REST/GRPC APIs

Distributed systems

CI/CD

AWS

Docker Kubernetes

Testing

Problem solving

Education

CS degree

Tools

PostgreSQL

GitLab CI/CD

Kubernetes

Job description

• Ways of Working: Set Schedule - This job will be onsite weekly, the percentage of onsite work will be defined by the leader.
• 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

We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer to build backend services and APIs that support our robotic platforms and associated application workflows. The successful candidate will design and build services and APIs that are scalable, testable, maintainable, and easy to integrate with internal and external systems. This role will also provide technical leadership across service design, architecture, and engineering practices.

Essential Job Duties

• Design, build, test, and operate backend services and APIs that support our robotic platforms and associated application workflows.
• Architect and develop service capabilities such as remote configuration management, software updates, service workflows, and telemetry data ingestion.
• Implement comprehensive unit, integration, and end-to-end testing within CI pipelines.
• Drive CI/CD, observability, and operational practices that support small, frequent, and high-confidence releases.

Additional Responsibilities

• Ensure services and APIs include first-class documentation, health endpoints, and uptime monitoring.
• Partner with embedded, infrastructure, and product teams to deliver solutions that are useful and broadly adoptable.
• Collaborate with security and quality teams to ensure solutions meet compliance and operational requirements.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers, helping guide architecture, implementation, and engineering best practices.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong experience building backend services and APIs in one or more languages such as Java, Go, Python, or similar.
• Strong experience designing REST or GRPC APIs with clear contracts, documentation, versioning, and backward compatibility.
• Strong experience with relational databases such as Postgres, service-side data modeling, and transactional system design.
• Strong experience with automated testing, Gitlab CI/CD, and AWS-based deployment practices for backend services.
• Strong experience with containerized deployment and orchestration technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, Amazon ECS, or Amazon EKS.
• Solid understanding of distributed systems concerns such as reliability, failure handling, observability, and operational support.
• Strong troubleshooting and incident management skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset.

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in computer science or related field.
• Minimum of 8 years relevant experience in software engineering, including backend services or API development.
• Working Conditions: None

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience working with medical devices or other regulated industries.
• Experience with defining and implementing data privacy requirements.

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 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.

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