Staff Mechanical Engineer, Advanced Energy

Intuitive•Sunnyvale, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Primary Function of Position The Staff Mechanical Engineer, Advanced Energy, is responsible for the technical development of advanced energy products at Intuitive. Their focus will be on the mechanical/electrical design of advanced energy catheters and instruments, contributing to the exploration of a novel system concept for a new application of surgical robotics. They will be a responsible member of the Advanced Research team supporting innovative technology development and commercialization. They will have both the technical depth to resolve complex mechanical, material, and manufacturing design issues as well as the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team to troubleshoot and root cause higher level system issues. They must have strong technical depth in relevant areas and have a track record of successful product development efforts. Using their subject matter expertise, exceptional communication skills and cross-functional collaboration, they will investigate and develop advanced energy applications for novel clinical applications across our robotic surgical systems. They must excel in a high-energy, focused, small-team environment, and have a commitment to high quality prototypes and concepts. A strong sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required as well as a commitment to high product quality.

Requirements

Typical minimum of 12 years of relevant experience, minimum 8 years with a masters
Demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional research and development teams
Experience with FDA QSR 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, ISO 14971 and other related standards
Demonstrated ability to originate novel concepts and rapidly convert ideas into functional prototypes to evaluate technical feasibility and clinical value
Proven track record operating in highly ambiguous environments with limited data, effectively identifying key risks and prioritizing experiments to accelerate learning
Strong capability to define early product architecture and translate feasibility prototypes into scalable, design-controlled development programs
Demonstrated ability to determine what to prototype versus what to analyze, balancing speed, risk reduction, and long-term scalability
Expertise in structured problem-solving and rapid design iteration cycles (build–test–learn)
Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping methods for flexible instruments and associated components, including 3D printing, plastics processing, metal fabrication, and bench-level assembly
Proficiency in CAD-based mechanical design (SolidWorks preferred)
Experience with all phases of the product development lifecycle; including proof-of-concept, design, implementation, debug, verification, qualification, and transfer
High autonomy and ability to work independently under limited supervision to determine and develop approach to solutions.
Ability to communicate effectively (written, oral) across all levels and organizations
Minimum education: BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Biomedical Engineering or related engineering or scientific discipline, or equivalent work experience

Nice To Haves

Experience with energy delivery devices is a strong plus
Experience with flexible electromechanical device development is a strong plus
Understanding of medical system integration and interfaces is a plus

Responsibilities

Work in a small, cross-functional project team to design, develop and verify new concepts for advanced energy catheters and/or flexible electromechanical instruments
Develop, implement, test and document new solutions, processes, and designs according to corporate standards and departmental operating procedures
Hands-on assembly and testing of devices to support proof of concept, design development, pre-clinical and V&V activities
Investigate and determine root cause of emerging design or manufacturing defects/failures.
Develop product concepts and assess with physicians and healthcare staff, identifying feature set, use conditions, design requirements/specifications, and completing tradeoff analysis.
Development and documentation of design and manufacturing documentation including inspection procedures, assembly instructions, test methods, purchase specifications, BOMs, part and assembly drawings using appropriate change control procedures
Collaborate with clinical engineering team to assess product concepts and do tradeoff analysis of proposed designs and feature sets
Observe clinical cases and participate in interviews with clinical experts to inform designs; provide support for pre-clinical labs and clinical cases
Establish individual goals consistent with overall project goals
Performs other duties as required to support the company's overall strategy and goals