Sr. Clinical Development Engineer – Ion (New 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.
Primary Function of the Position
Join a highly visible team focused on shaping the next generation of minimally invasive therapies. As a Senior Clinical Development Engineer and preclinical model development expert, you will play a critical role in influencing product strategy and driving the development of innovative solutions that improve patient outcomes.
In this role, you will partner closely with physicians, Medical Officers, Product Management, and Design Engineering teams to evaluate new therapeutic concepts, develop robust preclinical evaluation strategies, and provide expert guidance on tissue interactions and therapeutic performance.
You will serve as a trusted subject matter expert, helping teams solve complex multidisciplinary challenges, make informed product decisions, and advance technologies from concept through commercialization. Your expertise will directly influence multiple development programs and help define the future of endoluminal therapies.
What You'll Do
- Act as a technical and clinical expert in therapeutics and tissue effects.
- Collaborate with physicians, clinical users, and medical experts to identify and validate unmet clinical needs.
- Partner with Design Engineering, Product Management, Quality, Regulatory, and Clinical teams to define product requirements and evaluation strategies.
- Lead preclinical model development , tissue-effect characterization, and validation activities for innovative medical technologies.
- Evaluate clinical risks and help define mitigation strategies to support product safety and effectiveness.
- Drive critical technical decisions and influence product direction across multiple programs.
- Develop and execute evaluation plans supporting product development and commercialization efforts.
- Mentor and guide engineers and scientists through complex technical challenges.
- Stay current on emerging technologies and therapeutic approaches to help drive innovation.
Required Qualifications
- 8 years of related experience with Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or related field. Or 6 years with MS, or 3 years with PhD.
- 8+ years of experience in clinical development, preclinical evaluation, or related product development activities.
- Deep expertise in tissue effects, therapeutics, or energy-based medical technologies.
- Demonstrated experience developing and validating preclinical models for Class III medical devices.
- Strong understanding of complex medical device systems and product development processes.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with physicians and cross-functional stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience leading products from concept through commercialization.
- Experience developing evaluation, validation, and product characterization strategies.
- Track record of influencing technical decisions across multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong leadership, communication, and mentoring skills.
- Ability to work independently and drive initiatives with minimal oversight.
- Willingness to travel up to 15%.
Why This Role?
- Influence the future of innovative therapeutic technologies.
- Work directly with leading physicians and clinical experts.
- Solve highly complex challenges with significant impact across multiple product programs.
- Serve as a recognized expert in a critical and growing area of medical technology.
- Mentor and develop the next generation of technical leaders.
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.