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:

Intuitive Surgical designs and manufactures pioneering medical devices for use in surgery. These devices consist of surgical instruments, endoscopes, diagnostic tools, and accessories used on a robotic surgical platform. Each patient-contact device is evaluated for biological safety according to relevant international standards.  The Biological Safety Group at Intuitive are responsible for the definition, implementation, and communication of our biological safety program under the guidance of board-certified toxicologists.

The Biosafety Development Engineer is responsible for managing and collaborating with teams in support of the biological safety evaluation process for new products and changes to existing products. The successful candidate must excel in a high-energy, small-focused team environment, be a quick learner, and have a commitment to high product quality. The candidate must have a strong understanding of toxicology and analytical chemistry requirements for evaluating the biological safety of medical devices. The candidate should possess experience in designing and implementing biocompatibility safety evaluations, risk assessments, root-cause analysis, laboratory techniques, in vitro and in vivo test methods, and chemical analyses. The candidate should have experience in planning, tracking, creating process and procedure and implementing activities for the biological safety evaluation of medical devices, adhering to ISO 10993 guidelines. The candidate should have understating and knowledge of global regulatory requirements, compliance, quality management systems, audits, standards, and test methods for the biological safety evaluation and risk assessment of medical devices.

A strong sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required and the ability to make work fun and interesting.  Supporting you will be a technical services management team that knows and cares about what you are doing and wants you to succeed.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with toxicologists and other specialists to support and implement the biological safety program at Intuitive; collaborate with biosafety group members to develop safety assessment plans.

• Serve as the biological safety representative for new product development teams; attend meetings; communicate schedules; present at design reviews; and be responsible for peer interactions with engineering. With excellent organizational skills, prioritization abilities, and effective communication with project stakeholders, play a crucial role in managing multiple projects concurrently, ensuring the fulfillment of all compliance requirements.

• Responsible for closely monitoring and ensuring that all processes and procedures are in line with the biocompatibility requirements set by relevant regulatory bodies. This includes conducting assessments, reviewing documentation, and implementing necessary changes to achieve compliance.

• Support sustaining and supplier engineering programs by collecting information on design changes for patient-contact materials and coordinating the execution of biological safety assessment plans.

• Responsible for continuously reviewing and updating biological safety processes and procedures based on current standards. This includes staying informed about the latest regulatory requirements and industry best practices to ensure our standards remain accurate and up to date.

• Create and maintain project management tools to track biological safety activities and communicate progress on commitments to project leaders and business unit executives.

• Responsible for establishing and maintaining a comprehensive tracking system for all compliance-related projects. This includes documenting project progress, milestones, and any necessary updates or changes. Ensure that all project documentation is easily accessible to the relevant stakeholders.

• Engage directly with project stakeholders to address any requirements, processes, or compliance-related inquiries. able to effectively communicate complex information in a clear and concise manner will be crucial to ensuring a smooth compliance process.

• Support biosafety plans, coordinate chemical characterization and biocompatibility testing activities at CRO laboratories; understand testing needs; request quotes; coordinate test articles; and track schedules.

• Support the creation and archiving of documentation that supports the biological safety of intuitive products; write reports and release them in the document management system (Agile)

• Maintain an ISI biological safety material database and provide computer-generated reports as needed.

• Assist engineering teams in choosing patient-contact materials based on prior usage, and assist in describing design, material, process, and supplier modifications for biosafety evaluation.

• The role involves supporting regulatory filing activities, including FDA 510(k) submissions (and other filing strategies), OUS country registration activities, MDR compliance certification, and other regulatory support needs.

• Develop a working understanding of medical device biocompatibility, including relevant national and international standards, methods for biosafety end-point testing, and other regulatory requirements.

Skill/Job Requirements:

• A minimum bachelor's degree in medical life science or engineering, or a master's degree, is preferred.

• 8+ years of experience in medical device product safety, product development, or related areas

Nice to Have: 

• Training in medical device biocompatibility testing and management, or an equivalent program, is preferred.

• Proven project management skills: PMP certification is a plus.

• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills are essential for working effectively in a team environment.

• In vitro and in vivo laboratory testing experience is preferred but can be acquired through training.

• Knowledge of MS Office applications

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.

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].