Sr. Quality Engineer

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.

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

This position will report through the Professional Education and Program Services (PEPS) organization. This individual will be responsible for enabling the Advanced Tissue Models team to establish optimum quality control in product manufacturing and design control through implementation of key quality metrics and implementing actions to reduce defects and meet quality objectives.

The position will support design and development, material procurement, manufacturing, rework, and distribution of porcine-derived and synthetic surgical training tissue models as well as distribution of supporting equipment.

Essential Job Duties

• Initial roles and responsibilities for this position will include the following:

60% involvement in supporting new product development, 25% in sustaining manufacturing operations, and 15% quality advocacy and driving continuous improvements.

• Product development:
  • Strong contributor to the planning and execution of design controls, risk management, and design verification/validation for design changes for system and subsystems.
  • Participate in risk management process ensuring that risks are properly identified/assessed and risk management files are updated accordingly.
  • Ensure design changes are established and implemented according to ISI standards and applicable regulations.
  • Recommend design processes and methods to meet quality goals (DFX, etc.).
• Manufacturing support:
  • Support manufacturing processes, including failure analysis and defect/scrap containments.
  • Ensure manufacturing activities follow procedures and comply with USDA regulations.
  • Support development and execution of process validation and verification test plans, protocols, and reports, as needed.
  • Maintain site level process risk management files and update as required.
  • Support production ramp, work cross functionally on issues and drive continuous improvement projects.
  • Support investigation and disposition of defects, both internal and supplier related.
• Quality Advocacy:
  • Develop and apply corporate-level quality metrics.
  • Ensure the quality system requirements are effectively established and maintained.
  • Lead and manage quality initiatives in one or more areas of product and processes quality.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Review line non-conformance data and identify the trends and drive the continuous improvement projects including identifying the root cause, implementation and closure.
  • Review data proactively and take actions to mitigate issues from occurring.
• Support internal and external audits, including audit preparation, reviewing the front room documents and interacting with the auditors.
• Perform risk analysis and determine quality disposition for variance requests and non-conformances.
• Approve process and document changes through engineering change orders and deviations.
• Escalate issues/potential issues to direct management that could impact compliance, patient safety or surgical efficacy.
• Ensure successful, on-time completion of department projects, communicate constraints to direct management when successful project completion is at risk.
• Perform deep technical failure analysis based on the physics of failure.
• Review and interpret complex data analysis rooted in an understanding of our product hardware and software, the physics of failure, and the use conditions in the clinical / operating room environment.
• Performs other duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated proficiencies of 21 CFR 820, ISO 13485 and ISO 14971 requirements for making process or design changes.
• Understands product risk management, experience in generating/updating FMEAs.
• Understands Design Controls, Change Controls, Product, and Engineering Processes.
• Proficient with generation and execution of Qualifications, Validation protocols and Quality Assurance Procedures.
• Experienced in leading root cause analyses, product containment, and rework activities.
• Proficient in SPC & Six Sigma methodology and tools (e.g. uses DMAIC process and basic tools such as 5 Why's, control charts, fishbone diagram).
• Understands typical Excel data analysis operations (e.g. Pareto, charts, and trends).
• Capable of thinking independently and making decisions based on limited information.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Accepting and adhering to high ethical, moral, and personal dealing with others values in decisions, communications, actions, and when dealing with others
• Ability to work independently and handle tasks with competing priorities effectively.

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Life Sciences, or related discipline. Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years (or minimum 6 years with advanced degree) of experience in Quality Engineering within a manufacturing environment, including at least 4 years in the medical device industry.

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: $150.100 USD - $215.900 USD
Base Compensation Range Region 2: $127.600 USD - $183.500 USD
Shift: Day
Workplace Type: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.