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.

Primary Function of the Position

The Principal Engineering Leader for Value Engineering (VEL) is a senior technical and strategic leader responsible for developing, implementing, and championing Value Engineering (VE) processes across the organization. This role is pivotal in embedding a cost optimization mindset, driving product cost savings, and ensuring that value is maximized across the full product lifecycle with solutions for cost, quality, and scale through a collaborative, cross-functional approach.

Essential Job Duties 

• Manage and grow a high performing team of Value Engineers. Maintain a culture of achieving challenging goals. Coach and empower your team to continually improve and strengthen core engineering skills.
• Develop and Implement VE Processes - Architect and continuously improve VE processes, tools, and checklists. Ensure VE is embedded in the Product Development Process (PDP) and that best practices are standardized and disseminated to improve product cost, quality, and scale.
• Drive Cost Optimization - Lead initiatives to close identified savings gaps, set goals for short, medium, and long terms savings focusing on COGS, COQ, DFx, and product cost for new and sustaining products. Own cost savings strategic thrusts.
• Cross-Functional Leadership - Collaborate with executive sponsors, VE leaders, and value engineers across Design, Manufacturing, and Supplier Engineering. Chair and participate in VE committees and review boards to ensure alignment and progress.
• Project and KPI Ownership - Set and track clear goals, KPIs, and deliverables for VE workstreams. Quantify cost savings, quality impacts, and process adoption metrics. Ensure timely and effective execution of VE projects to deliver results.
• Strategic Influence - Shape the purpose, intent, and approach of VE within the organization. Remove roadblocks, align cross-functional teams, and drive adoption of VE as a core organizational habit.
• In conjunction with cross functional teams (e.g. design, PMO, strategic supply chain), create technology roadmaps for manufacturing processes, DFx tools, cost modeling, etc.
• Understand the supplier landscape, develop, and maintain deep technical relationships at core suppliers.
• Influence supplier technology roadmaps to ensure Intuitive system and instrument technical requirements are met.
• Act as subject matter expert within Intuitive on state of the art in value engineering, and component manufacturing processes.  Drive for adoption of this state within the organization.
• Provide technical review and analysis and responses to suppliers proposals and RFx(e.g. request for technical information).
• Define criteria/guidelines for design for manufacturing based on process, and best practices for qualifying components.

Required Skills and Experience 

• Must have experience leading a value engineering, cost savings, or VAVE organization.
• In-depth knowledge of value engineering, value analysis, and/or value management methodologies and processes required.
• Must have management experience of a team of engineers.
• Strong technical skills, involving problem solving, DFM, and should-cost/could-cost. Proven ability to interpret detailed drawings and execute tolerance stack-ups for assemblies.
• Strong understanding of best practices in Project management, Agile, Six Sigma, Lean, Statistical process control etc. is highly desirable
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills
• Medical Device, Automotive, or Aerospace experience is a plus

Required Education and Training 

• Minimum Education & Experience: BS degree in Engineering with 15+ years experience, Master’s plus 12 years experience, or PhD plus 8 years of experience in design engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, supplier engineering.
• Certified Value Methodology Associate or Value Specialist preferred.

Working Conditions 

• On-site, Sunnyvale, CA
• Ability to travel to suppliers, domestic and international, up to 20% time

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.