At Intuitive, we are united behind our mission: we believe that minimally invasive care is life-enhancing care. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints.

As a pioneer and market leader in robotic-assisted surgery, we strive to foster an inclusive and diverse team, committed to making a difference. For more than 25 years, we have worked with hospitals and care teams around the world to help solve some of healthcare's hardest challenges and advance what is possible.

Intuitive has been built by the efforts of great people from diverse backgrounds. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere. We strive to foster an inclusive culture built around diversity of thought and mutual respect. We lead with inclusion and empower our team members to do their best work as their most authentic selves.

Passionate people who want to make a difference drive our culture. Our team members are grounded in integrity, have a strong capacity to learn, the energy to get things done, and bring diverse, real world experiences to help us think in new ways. We actively invest in our team members to support their long-term growth so they can continue to advance our mission and achieve their highest potential.

Join a team committed to taking big leaps forward for a global community of healthcare professionals and their patients. Together, let's advance the world of minimally invasive care.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Head of Legal Operations, the Outside Counsel & Vendor Management Lead at Intuitive will lead strategic initiatives in knowledge management and vendor operations. This role is pivotal in optimizing legal support, enhancing operational transparency, and driving cost efficiency across the Legal Department. The successful candidate will architect and execute programs that ensure high-quality legal services, foster best practices, and enable efficient access to institutional knowledge.

Key Responsibilities

Law Firm & Vendor Management

• Design and implement Intuitive’s outside counsel engagement strategy in partnership with legal leadership and internal stakeholders.
• Oversee the full law firm lifecycle—from selection and negotiation to performance and billing.
• Optimize law firm roster to ensure the right expertise and jurisdictional coverage.
• Lead global negotiations on law firm agreements, rates, and alternative fee arrangements.
• Create competitive rate intelligence and benchmarking to aid in negotiations and ad hoc rate approvals.
• Launch cost-saving initiatives, including preferred firm programs, competitive RFPs, and AFA frameworks.
• Develop and maintain KPIs, dashboards, and reporting tools to track performance and spend.
• Drive annual budgeting and monthly forecasting exercises in collaboration with Finance and legal teams.
• Manage internal compliance program for law firm vendors, partnering with appropriate internal control teams.
• Implement best practices for invoice review, savings enforcement, and global billing compliance.
• Partner with tax, AP, and procurement teams to establish proper billing and payment procedures.
• Oversee training programs for new hires and external-facing training with outside counsel.
• Optimize system functionality within our eBilling tool and via integrations.

Knowledge Management

• Develop and implement a knowledge management strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Integrate well-designed workflows and taxonomies to expedite knowledge retrieval and sharing.
• Implement automation for repetitive tasks and mobilize organizational knowledge.
• Foster a culture of documentation, sharing, and collaboration across the Legal Department.
• Leverage technology to ensure critical data is accessible to the right people at the right time.
• Manage the Legal Department’s intranet and public-facing website.

Strategic Initiatives

• Lead organization-wide working groups and committees on complex, global initiatives.
• Perform special projects as requested by the Head of Legal Operations.
• Partner with the Sr. Director of Legal Operations on strategic projects and executive initiatives.

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum 8+ years in legal operations, knowledge management, project management, or a related field.
• Undergraduate degree (B.A./B.S.) required.
• In-depth understanding of law firm pricing, billing practices, and matter lifecycles.
• Experience designing, negotiating, and evaluating fee agreements and alternative fee arrangements.
• Strong proficiency in legal technology, including AI, eBilling, matter management, and workflow automation tools.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and negotiation abilities.
• Strategic, creative, and innovative thinker with a continuous improvement mindset.
• High level of professionalism, emotional intelligence, and discretion.
• Excellent written, verbal, research, and presentation skills.
• Strong project management skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Experience with fiscal and budget management, including forecasting and cost optimization.
• Proven communication and relationship-building skills with partner-level outside counsel and senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and work effectively with global, cross-functional teams.

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.

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.