Principal Systems Research Engineer, Sunnyvale, CA, United States

Company Description

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.

Were 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.

The Future Forward organization is Intuitive’s advanced concepts group. We explore emerging technologies, prototype next-generation solutions, and build software experiences that shape the future of robotic-assisted surgery.

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

The Future Forward Research group at Intuitive Surgical explores novel, high-potential technologies for future surgical robotic products and applications in computer- and robot-assisted medical intervention. We seek a Principal Systems Research Engineer — a recognized expert who applies professional systems engineering concepts to resolve the group's most critical technical issues and broad system design matters — to serve as the senior technical authority for systems engineering across the group's concept-to-prototype portfolio.

The Principal Systems Research Engineer owns systems architecture, requirements flow-down, and technical risk-retirement strategy for multiple concurrent early-stage concepts — spanning novel system and instrument mechanisms, actuation and sensing schemes, visualization approaches, and control architectures — running on Intuitive's current surgical robotic platforms or new experimental platforms. This role has significant experience turning innovative ideas into real products and solutions, and is accountable for taking a concept from first-principles feasibility argument through an integrated, functional prototype validated to a phase gate requirement — through the group's formal review and approval process — to advance (or pivot) the concept ahead of formal program investment.

Beyond individual project ownership, the Principal Systems Research Engineer leads departmental and cross-functional projects and teams, mentors senior and staff engineers, and serves as an integral technical advisor to senior leaders on the feasibility, risk, and strategic value of emerging technologies. The role builds formal networks with key internal and external decision-makers and represents the organization externally — with academic and clinical collaborators, technology partners, and industry forums — to track and help shape the surgical robotics research landscape. The role operates with wide latitude in determining objectives and technical approach for critical assignments, and contributes to the goals, objectives, and high-level decisions that guide the work of the broader research team.

Essential Job Duties

Systems Architecture & Requirements Engineering

Lead all aspects of systems engineering for a given concept: system architecture, functional decomposition, and clear, testable system/subsystem requirements.
Own end-to-end requirements traceability from clinical need and technical hypothesis through system/subsystem/hardware/software requirements to feasibility verification.
Own software-related system requirements: system behaviors, operational concepts, user stories, and use cases that align software functionality with system performance and surgeon workflow.
Define and control system interfaces and interface specifications across hardware, software, and mechanical domains as the architecture evolves.
Apply Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) / UML methods to define and manage system architecture, requirements, interfaces, and behavior for fast-evolving concepts.

Prototype Development & Integration

Develop and validate distributed electro-mechanical systems and dynamic models through targeted experimentation, spanning novel kinematic architectures, actuation schemes, and sensor fusion approaches.
Design and direct development of control algorithms, software architectures, tooling, and infrastructure supporting rapid prototyping of new surgical platforms.
Integrate mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems into fully functional, testable prototypes; personally lead integration and debugging on the highest-risk system interfaces.
Apply classical and modern control design methods (teleoperation, force/haptic feedback, shared/supervisory control) to prototype and validate novel medical robotic systems.
Apply robust design and Design of Experiments (DoE) principles to characterize prototype performance envelopes and surface failure modes early, at a rigor appropriate to research-stage uncertainty.

Risk, Safety & Usability

Assess system-level safety risks and technical failure modes relevant to prototype testing and drive risk-informed design decisions.
Partner with Human Factors on usability considerations for novel instrument concepts and interaction schemes, surfacing use-related risks early.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Technical Reviews

Drive cross-functional collaboration across hardware, software, controls, mechanical, and clinical stakeholders to keep requirements technically sound, testable, and grounded in real clinical use cases.
Lead architecture development ensuring robust integration of electromechanical hardware, embedded/application software, control algorithms, sensing, actuation, and user interaction.
Lead concept/architecture reviews with technical leadership, resolving cross-domain trade-offs and building the technical case for advancing or killing a concept, including presentation through the group's formal top-management review and approval process.
Provide systems-level analytic support to other engineering groups on software architecture, interface design, and controls strategy.
Drive translation of validated concepts into staged handoff packages (architecture rationale, requirements, test data, risk register) supporting downstream program investment decisions.

Communication & External Engagement

Integrate communications across multiple teams and functions for cohesive, unified messaging within the research group and across Intuitive Surgical; translate strategic, clinical, and technical content into a clear sense of purpose for teams both within and outside direct span of influence.
Build and maintain strong, enduring internal and external relationships through sophisticated, consistent communication; represent the research group externally with academic, clinical, and industry partners.
Communicate system-level risks, constraints, and technical opportunities to senior management, translating clinical and technical insight into clear feasibility conclusions and investment recommendations.

Team Leadership, Planning & Problem Solving

Contribute to the research team's goals, objectives, and other high-level decisions that guide the work of others; routinely solve the portfolio's most complex technical problems, enabling the team to make significant progress.
Identify technical critical paths and facilitate structured problem-solving across the research team to unblock development.
Support project planning with input on resourcing and schedule for concept-stage work.

Process, Documentation & IP

Apply and enforce software/systems engineering best practices tailored to research-pace development; produce documentation aligned to phase gate requirements.
Identify, document, and drive disclosure of intellectual property generated during concept development.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

Deep theoretical and practical mastery of robot manipulator kinematics, classical and modern control theory, teleoperation architectures, and related algorithms, with a track record of applying them to novel (not derivative) system designs.
Demonstrated ability to architect, integrate, and characterize complete mechatronic systems end-to-end, including cross-domain failure mode analysis; working knowledge of electrical/mechanical design principles and CAD tools.
Extensive experience designing real-time embedded software and teleoperation algorithms for safety-critical, mission-critical robotic systems.
Strong proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++; Python or JavaScript a plus for tooling and rapid-prototyping infrastructure.
Working knowledge of MBSE/UML methods for architecture, requirements, and interface management.
Demonstrated technical leadership at the expert level: setting architecture direction, mentoring other engineers, leading departmental and cross-functional teams, and serving as an integral technical advisor to senior leadership.
Highly skilled at translating strategic, clinical, and technical content into a clear sense of purpose that engages multiple teams within and outside direct span of influence.
Comprehensive understanding of teleoperation systems, software, and interfaces sufficient to make build-vs-defer tradeoffs under research-stage ambiguity and schedule pressure.
Skilled in profiling, debugging, and optimizing system software and control loops; disciplined, first-principles approach to root-causing cross-domain integration issues.
Excellent communication skills, with a track record of building formal networks with key decision-makers and representing an organization externally, plus presenting technical risk and feasibility results to senior leadership for go/no-go decisions.
Deep understanding of software and systems engineering methodologies, applied pragmatically to fast-moving, high-ambiguity research programs.

Required Education and Training

Typically requires a minimum of 15 years of related experience in servo control systems development for robotics or electro-mechanical systems with a university degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, or Control Systems Engineering (or a closely related robotics/electro-mechanical field); or 12 years of experience with a Master's degree in a related field; or a PhD with 8 years of experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Hands-on implementation experience and demonstrated systems-level leadership on complex, safety-critical platforms required at any of the above paths.

Additional Information

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.

Base Compensation Range Region 1: $244,000 USD - $366,000 USD
Base Compensation Range Region 2: $207,400 USD - $311,100 USD
Shift: Day
Workplace Type: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.