After starting his career in optical production in his home country of Bulgaria, Miroslav Tropchev made a move he’d never imagined—all the way to Germany, for two years of training at Intuitive. While he learned his way around our warehouses, we’ve been building a location in Parvomay, Bulgaria—and when it’s ready, Miroslav will move back home to lead a team of his own. Below, he shares why he decided to take such a big step, what he’s noticed about Intuitive’s culture, and what he’s most excited about in the company’s next chapter.
Tell us about your background and why you joined Intuitive.
For four years I studied industrial management at the Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria. Between my third and fourth years I did an internship at Schölly-Optix, which back then was supplying endoscopes for Intuitive—so I’ve known Intuitive for a long time. After my internship, they offered me a permanent role. I enjoy working in the medical field because it’s more than just a job; we are helping people every day. And when I do have a challenging day, I think about how much harder it must be for the patients. That keeps me pushing.
When I heard about Intuitive planning to build a new location in Bulgaria, I decided to apply. After the interview, they made me an offer to come to Germany for two years to train as a material handler, and then return to Bulgaria to help manage the new warehouse. Material handlers are responsible for storing, handling, and moving merchandise around the premises. That includes the different components for building the scopes and all the tools, fixtures, and any indirect materials needed for the assembling processes—as well as preparing the already finished product for shipment. The role is a great way to learn more about all the steps from receiving the raw materials to shipping the complete products.
I’d never really imagined taking a step like this; I’ve been on vacation in other countries and even lived in other countries, but never for such a long period of time. This meant changing my whole life. But I wanted something new, something that would challenge me. Honestly, I had zero hesitation.
What was that transition like—working for a new company, and also living in a new country?
No question, it was challenging at first. But Intuitive helped with everything. They hired a company to coordinate my move, and once I arrived in Germany, they helped me settle in. They assisted with logistics like registering my address and learning my way around the transportation system. Any questions I had, they were ready to answer.
On the work side of things, not everything was completely new, because I do have some experience in this area. But of course, there’s a lot that’s specific to Intuitive. The process was very smooth, it was fun, to be honest! There is plenty of documentation, and my trainers were open and helpful. They were always willing to give me a hand with whatever I needed, and they gave me as much time as I needed to learn. There was no rushing. They always wanted me to feel ready before I moved on to the next step.
How would you describe the culture at Intuitive?
I remember right away when I started, it was obvious that people here were very professional and liked their jobs, which made me feel confident that I’d like it, too. Everyone is always trying to help each other. There is no such thing considered as a stupid question in our team. You feel appreciated here, which is so important—and isn’t something everyone can say about their job. And people really listen to your opinion. Even if you have an idea that doesn’t work out, that’s okay. It will be considered.
For example, I’ve made some suggestions about changes to help things run more smoothly. I asked about storing some of our materials in a different way, so they’d be easier to find and keep organized, and I asked about rearranging some of the tables and monitors we use, to make it easier to reach the materials we need. In both cases, people listened. They agreed it would be better, and it was immediately done.
The other thing I like about Intuitive’s culture is the diversity. Here in Germany, there are people from more than two dozen different countries! It’s really cool because you see different cultures everywhere you go—and during breaks, it’s so interesting to chat with people and learn more about those cultures. It feels like I’m part of a big, global family.
What’s next for you? What are you looking forward to in the months and years ahead?
The team here offered me a permanent position, if I wanted to stay, but I decided to go back to Bulgaria. That was my original plan, and I think I will love helping build the company there and seeing the new location grow. In the first phase we’ll be building the endoscopes. But eventually, we plan to start producing other Intuitive products too, which is really exciting to me. I want to do my part to make that a reality and prove to Intuitive that it was a good decision to invest in Bulgaria.
I want to keep traveling, too. It would be exciting to visit different Intuitive plants, like the one in Mexicali, to learn how they produce different parts of the da Vinci. And I’d also love to visit our headquarters in Sunnyvale, to see how work is done there—and where everything Intuitive is all about actually started.
I’m also looking forward to having my own team when I go home. Helping people push through their doubts and seeing them improve is really motivating to me. There are infinite possibilities for growing your career here, and I want to pay it forward. It’s going to be a challenge for sure—I’ve never been in an official leadership role—but that's what motivates me even more. I think every time you walk out of work, you should have learned something new. So, I really can’t wait. I’m looking forward to it every day.
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