Staff Mechanical Design Engineer

Intuitive • Sunnyvale, CA

6d

About The Position

The Staff Mechanical Design Engineer for Single-Port (SP) Accessories supports the development and production of existing and new products. The role calls for a hands-on, technically strong engineer who can solve engineering challenges and assess risks and opportunities. Work spans sustaining products and new product development, including cost savings, manufacturability improvements to support volume growth, customer-satisfaction enhancements, and reliability improvements.

The engineer drives mechanical design for da Vinci SP Accessories in a regulated environment and supports products through design, implementation, debugging, verification, qualification, and transfer. The position works across engineering and manufacturing functions to deliver solutions that meet clinical, functional, and product requirements, and provides sustaining support for manufacturing and field issues. The role also includes mentoring engineers and championing mechanical-design best practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering required; a biomedical or other engineering discipline may be acceptable with appropriate mechanical experience.
• At least 12 years of hardware product design experience preferred with an undergraduate degree, or at least 8 years with a graduate degree.
• Proficiency using CAD to design and document mechanisms; SolidWorks is strongly preferred.
• Good communication and documentation skills.
• Experience designing high-volume consumable medical products.
• Strong working knowledge of GD&T.
• Experience with complex interface compatibility and tolerance analysis.
• Knowledge of high-volume component manufacturing processes, including injection molding, plastic films, extrusions, thermoforming, and plastic bonding methods.
• Knowledge of materials and material properties, preferably plastics, silicones, polyurethanes, and isoprenes.
• Ability to apply engineering-material knowledge and component-selection criteria to product designs through concept development, design analysis, hands-on prototyping, and reliability testing.
• Ability to think at a systems level, work across multiple design groups, and negotiate conflicting requirements.
• Comfort with all phases of product development, including design, implementation, debugging, verification, qualification, and transfer.
• Strong mechanical intuition and persistence in diagnosing root causes and solving technical problems using fundamental principles.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally across functions, including presenting to technical audiences.
• Prior experience in a medical-device or other regulated industry.
• Ability to lift 30 pounds without assistance.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering preferred.
• SolidWorks experience.
• Comfort operating machine-shop tools and equipment, rapid-prototyping equipment such as 3D printers and laser cutters, and measurement and test equipment.
• Knowledge of additional manufacturing processes such as extrusion, blow molding, ultrasonic welding, RF welding, heat staking, and laser welding.
• Familiarity with design inputs, design outputs, traceability, and risk analysis.
• Ability to handle ambiguity effectively and oversee multiple projects at once.
• Knowledge of ISO requirements and GMP guidelines; experience with FDA regulations and medical-device design control is a strong plus.
• Experience leading departmental or cross-functional projects or initiatives from concept through completion.
• Knowledge of medical-device sterilization methods, biocompatibility, and packaging.

Responsibilities

• Drive design efforts to optimize the performance, manufacturability, and reliability of existing and future da Vinci SP Accessories.
• Develop components and mechanical product drawings for high-volume manufacturing processes in a regulated environment.
• Design for manufacturing and automation, sterilization processes, and biocompatibility.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineers, Systems Analysts, Clinical Development Engineers, Human Factors Engineers, and Supplier Engineers.
• Review and understand product functional requirements and design specifications.
• Provide mechanical engineering sustaining support to resolve manufacturing and field issues.
• Investigate and determine root causes of design, manufacturing, or material issues.
• Research relevant product-specific international standards and design to those standards.
• Develop, implement, test, and document solutions that meet clinical, functional, and product requirements and follow corporate standards and departmental procedures.
• Perform and document FMEA risk analyses, implement effective mitigations, and follow design-control processes.
• Help identify and develop component manufacturing vendors.
• Develop initial fixtures and processes for component assembly.
• Develop product and component verification tests and product validation tests.
• Support final-product production by troubleshooting process and component problems.
• Provide engineering support to Manufacturing, Materials, Test Engineering, and Service to facilitate design transfer.
• Mentor other engineers and champion mechanical-design best practices.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior