Staff Software Engineer - Vision - New Platforms

Intuitive; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive is seeking a Vision Software Staff Engineer to act as the technical lead for software and embedded architecture in real-time, high-definition video processing and intra-body illumination for a next-generation surgical robotic platform.

You will drive integration of cameras, sensors, and vision pipelines into multi-processor embedded systems, balancing hardware, software, and algorithm trade-offs while meeting regulatory requirements and design controls for medical devices.

Qualifications

• Experience diagnosing and debugging complex vision systems end-to-end.
• Familiarity with regulated industry and design controls for medical devices.
• Ability to translate rough requirements into robust embedded software architectures.

Responsibilities

• Lead the definition of hardware, software, and algorithms architecture for the real-time video processing engine, image sensors, and intra-body illumination systems of a new generation surgical robotic platform, from concept through implementation.
• Drive the integration of cameras, image sensors, and vision processing pipelines into complex, multi-processor embedded architectures, ensuring robust interfaces between hardware, FPGA/ISP, and software components.
• Evaluate multiple design trade-offs for the embedded vision software architecture through detailed technical deep dives, proof-of-concept development, and rapid iteration.
• Lead bring-up and integration of new, high-performance cameras and image sensors, and the integration and evaluation of advanced camera pipeline video processing algorithms.
• Diagnose and debug vision system issues end-to-end – sensor, optics, video pipeline, and software – leading root cause investigations in close collaboration with hardware, algorithms, and systems engineering teams.
• Drive development and enhancement of the color and power control functions for intra-operative illumination.
• Lead formal risk analyses for vision and illumination subsystems; identify additional hardware requirements and develop software mitigations to minimize potential failures.
• Design and develop offline simulation environments and hardware/software diagnostic tools that accelerate development, debug, and test.
• Perform and guide detailed design, development, documentation, and verification of embedded vision software and supervisory state machines, in compliance with regulatory requirements and Intuitive's internal guidelines.
• Contribute broadly across the video and vision software stack, including extension of current processing frameworks to new hardware platforms.
• Apply high-level and specialized imaging/vision expertise to deliver innovations and problem-solving approaches that can be leveraged across multiple products.
• Mentor and guide engineers across the vision team.

Skills

Real-time vision

Embedded architectures

Debugging complex vision systems

Regulatory compliance

Job description

Job Description

Primary Function of Position:

As a Vision Software Staff Engineer, you will act as the technical lead for the software and embedded architecture definition of the real-time, high-definition video processing, imaging, and intra-body illumination systems at the heart of a new generation surgical robotic platform.

You will drive the deep integration of cameras, image sensors, and vision processing pipelines into complex, multi-processor embedded architectures, bringing sound engineering judgment to the trade-offs between hardware, software, and algorithms, and procedure-specific product requirements.

Critical to the success of this role is experience diagnosing and debugging complex vision systems end-to-end – from sensor and optics through the video pipeline to software – driving root cause investigations and collaborating with hardware and algorithms teams to resolve difficult, multi-disciplinary issues. Familiarity with working in a regulated industry and with design controls for medical devices is a plus.

The successful candidate must excel at evaluating design trade-offs through detailed technical deep dives, proof-of-concept development, and rapid iteration, translating rough requirements into robust, well-reasoned embedded software architectures.

A strong sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required, as is the ability to make the work fun and interesting. Supporting you will be a development and management team that knows and cares about what you are doing and wants you to succeed.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead the definition of hardware, software, and algorithms architecture for the real-time video processing engine, image sensors, and intra-body illumination systems of a new generation surgical robotic platform, from concept through implementation.
• Drive the integration of cameras, image sensors, and vision processing pipelines into complex, multi-processor embedded architectures, ensuring robust interfaces between hardware, FPGA/ISP, and software components.
• Evaluate multiple design trade-offs for the embedded vision software architecture through detailed technical deep dives, proof-of-concept development, and rapid iteration.
• Lead bring-up and integration of new, high-performance cameras and image sensors, and the integration and evaluation of advanced camera pipeline video processing algorithms.
• Diagnose and debug vision system issues end-to-end – sensor, optics, video pipeline, and software – leading root cause investigations in close collaboration with hardware, algorithms, and systems engineering teams.
• Drive development and enhancement of the color and power control functions for intra-operative illumination.
• Lead formal risk analyses for vision and illumination subsystems; identify additional hardware requirements and develop software mitigations to minimize potential failures.
• Design and develop offline simulation environments and hardware/software diagnostic tools that accelerate development, debug, and test.
• Perform and guide detailed design, development, documentation, and verification of embedded vision software and supervisory state machines, in compliance with regulatory requirements and Intuitive's internal guidelines.
• Contribute broadly across the video and vision software stack, including extension of current processing frameworks to new hardware platforms.
• Apply high-level and specialized imaging/vision expertise to deliver innovations and problem-solving approaches that can be leveraged across multiple products.
• Mentor and guide engineers across the vision team.