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 position:

New Product Design and Development of the Viewer for the daVinci Robotic Assisted Surgical System

Surgeons need to see clearly in order heal their patients. Surgeons use the daVinci Surgical System for extended continuous duration under the intense stress of a surgical environment. Visual clarity and precise representation of the surgical field along with ease of use and optical comfort across the broad spectrum of surgeons are pillars of Intuitive’s vision products.

The primary responsibility of this position is to develop and demonstrate new display system architectures for the DaVinci Viewer system. This role will model and confirm via prototype experiments all of the key display metrics that the Viewer must deliver: brightness and contrast, image sharpness and resolution, white point and color gamut, luminance and color stability over life, etc

It is important that the person in this position maintain an awareness of developing science, research, and technologies related to surgical imaging, virtual reality, and human perception. There is an expectation to not only know about but also create and communicate intellectual property throughout the development process in a timely manner. Good ideas come from many places. The person in this role needs to stay abreast of industry trends and develop concepts to enhance the performance of the DaVinci surgeon Viewer system.

Provide critical technical leadership when working with outside development partners for custom components and sub-assemblies. Our development partners should know about and share in Intuitive’s mission so they can feel and understand the need for high quality and operational excellence. Strategic development of the supply chain must be a priority.  

Skill/Job Requirements:

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline with a minimum of 10 years of display industry experience
• Deep understanding of modern flat-panel display technology and capabilities
• Familiar with LCD and OLED panel driver technologies and touch screen driver technology
• Conversant in ray optics modeling tools
• Fluent in use of LCD Master CAD modeling package or equivalent
• Familiar with the principles of physical optics and application of them to flat-panel display technology
• 10-15 years as a proven technical innovator in optics, photonics and display technology (multiple patents authored)
• Understanding of color science and how to model and validate metrics such as white point and color gamut for the Viewer system
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to meaningfully engage deeply technical individual contributors on specific activities
• Understanding of light sources, spatial light modulators, and complex optical systems operating at visible wavelengths
• Experience in eye tracking technologies, modeling and experiments and how the technology operates with 3D vision systems
• Understanding of human visual perception, sources of visualize discomfort in 3D vision systems and evaluation methods

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.

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.