Staff Machine Control Engineer

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 Position

We are looking for an experienced machine controls engineer to lead the development of advanced mechatronic instrumentation for patient care applications. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of architecting and developing control and sensing software for medical robots or diagnostic instrumentation from prototype to commercialization. A strong skillset in experimental design, empirical data collection, and data analysis/visualization is critical. Experience in low-latency machine controls, high-precision optical control, and biological sample handling applications is highly desired. This position reports on-site at offices in the San Francisco Bay Area CA.

What You'll Do

• Architect, design, and implement control and sensing software for advanced mechatronic instrumentation
• Work hands-on with mechatronic hardware daily in system bring-up, calibration, operation, experimentation, and debugging
• Lead system optimization and debugging activity with thoughtful experimental design, execution, and data analysis/visualization
• Interface with embedded systems engineers and electrical engineers to develop appropriate software interfaces to lower-level controllers and firmware
• Work closely with systems engineering and mechanical engineering to architect, select, and optimize electrical control boards, motors, sensors, and other hardware components
• Write clean, structured and maintainable code, document software designs for various instrument configurations, inclusive of error recovery
• Write and execute unit tests ensuring excellent test coverage for software code
• Use scripting languages (e.g. Python) for bringing up various hardware prototypes, for test automation, and for data analysis/visualization
• Generate detailed software requirements, design specifications, and software test protocols for the company’s Quality System
• Work closely with a multidisciplinary engineering team and company leadership to deliver key technical milestones
• Prioritize and debug reported software issues/bugs

Required Skills and Experience

• BS/MS in Computer Science or related field with 8+ years industry experience, or PhD degree with 5+ years industry experience in systems control and sensing
• Strong knowledge across programming languages for real-time and pseudo-real-time control (C#, C, C++) on Linux OS
• Demonstrated experience in architecting and writing motion control, sensing, and state machine code for one or more diagnostic instruments or medical robots that have reached production
• Experience in low-latency machine controls for time-sensitive applications
• Strong experimental design, empirical data collection, and analysis/visualization skills to support design iteration and optimization using scripting languages such as Python
• Experience developing medical device software per FDA requirements including software risk analysis and cybersecurity through all phases of product development lifecycle (design, implementation, debug, verification, validation and transfer to manufacturing)
• Strong analytical skills and a creative mindset

Required Education and Training

• Bachelors, Master or PhD in Computer Science or related field

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience controlling high-speed precision optics
• Experience with instrumentation involving biological sample processing
• Experience using OpenCV for camera sensing / computer vision applications
• Strong background in performance optimization to ensure deterministic execution of pre-defined software protocols
• Experience developing / interfacing with backend software for instrument data storage and network transmission

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.