Supplier Engineering Intern

Intuitive • Sunnyvale, CA

8d

About The Position

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. Job Description Primary Function of Position Intuitive Haptics Sensing group is evaluating a next-generation surgical robotic instrument that enables grip sensing, an emerging capability that enhances tactile feedback and precision for minimally invasive surgery. This position will support Intuitive’s broader strategic goal of evaluating and integrating advanced sensing technologies into future Haptic instruments. The intern will work to understand the clinical value, technology and supplier landscape, and supply chain ecosystem related to grip and tactile sensing.

Requirements

• Sensor operating principles
• Technical knowledge and hands-on experience with force, pressure, tactile, or haptic sensing principles.
• Familiarity with micro strain gauge, piezoelectric, capacitive, resistive, optical, semiconductor, or polymer-based sensors.
• Analytical & Research Capability
• Ability to perform competitive technology research, and conduct market and supplier assessments.
• Ability to synthesize research into clear insights and recommendations.
• Communication Skills
• Ability to collaborate with design engineers, clinical engineers, and supplier engineering.
• Experience presenting findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong PowerPoint/writing skills.
• University Enrollment: Must be currently enrolled in and returning to an accredited degree-seeking academic program after the internship.
• Internship Work Period: Must be available to work full-time (approximately 40 hours per week) during a 10-12 week period starting May or June.
• Specific start dates are shared during the recruiting process.
• Current enrollment in Electrical, Mechanical, Biomedical or Robotics Engineering or Materials Science, Applied Physics, or related degree-seeking program at the Master’s or PhD level.
• Understanding of sensing technologies (force, tactile, pressure, haptics, or MEMS-based sensing).
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate emerging technologies through experiments, literature review, or competitive analysis.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to synthesize technical and market data.
• Strong communication skills; ability to collaborate with design, clinical, and supplier engineering teams.
• Ability to translate user/stakeholder needs into technical requirements.
• Experience preparing structured reports and presenting insights to diverse audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with technology readiness, manufacturability, and supplier capability assessment
• Experience with robotics, surgical tools, or biomedical instrumentation.
• Prior research in sensors, robotics, wearables, biomechanics, MEMS, haptics, or material-based sensing.
• Industry or academic lab experience working with sensing systems.
• Exposure to market research / competitive technology analysis.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the Haptic Instrument Design and Clinical Engineering to understand the clinical and business value of grip and tactile sensing for minimum invasive surgery — and how it differentiates from existing force-sensing technologies in the market.
• In collaboration with the design and clinical teams, translate surgeon-driven requirements into supplier and technology criteria.
• Conduct a market and supplier assessment covering available and emerging technologies in grip/tactile sensing.
• Evaluate the ecosystem and supply Market from technology readiness, market trend, supply continuity, cost, and quality perspectives.
• Develop and present a market intelligence report summarizing findings, supplier comparisons, and recommendations for sourcing strategy.
• Potentially attend trade shows or participate in virtual/onsite supplier interviews to support research, depending on availability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees