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

The Staff Engineer, Manufacturing systems and Standards defines how manufacturing equipment is specified, developed, managed, and sustained across the company’s global manufacturing network. The role harmonizes best practices across business units, establishes governance to sustain alignment. It is a high-influence technical role that delivers through cross-functional collaboration rather than direct execution ownership.

Essential Job Duties

• Identify, harvest, and consolidate existing manufacturing standards, guidance, and best practices across business units, applying an align, standardize, govern, and sustain approach.
• Develop and maintain enterprise manufacturing equipment and process standards, leveraging industry standards  including safety and design regulations where applicable (e.g., automation, controls and PLCs, robotics, vision systems, precision joining processes).
• Align and document equipment lifecycle best practices, from requirements and URS through qualification, spares, transfers, and sustainment.
• Serve as the DRI for Equipment standards, owning business requirements, governance, adoption, and value realization
• Establish and operate a  governance model covering ownership, review cadence, and cross-business-unit alignment, using the organization’s designated engineering system of record.
• Prioritize standardization efforts based on business impact, readiness, and global manufacturing needs, in partnership with business units and domain owners.

Required Skills and Experience

• Typically 12+ years of relevant engineering experience, or Master’s degree with 8+ years, consistent with Staff Engineer or equivalent senior technical (individual contributor) expectations; advancement based on demonstrated scope and impact.
• Background in manufacturing engineering, operations, or a related technical field; experience in automation, industrialization, or equipment development, ideally in a regulated or high-reliability environment, is beneficial.
• Demonstrated success developing, implementing, or governing manufacturing standards across multiple products, sites, or business units.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing equipment lifecycle management, including requirements development, qualification, deployment, sustainment, transfers, and upgrades.
• Ability to solve challenging, multi-disciplinary problems and to influence technical direction and decisions across the organization without direct authority.
• Demonstrated ability to build alignment among diverse stakeholders and drive enterprise-level decisions.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Practical experience applying industry standards and accepted practices within manufacturing environments.

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Advanced degree preferred. Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Experience supporting global manufacturing networks or multi-site production environments.
• Experience with enterprise asset lifecycle management (EAM), CMMS platforms, maintenance programs, spare parts management, or asset governance processes.
• Familiarity with industrial automation, controls architectures, robotics, and manufacturing equipment deployment.
• Experience working with equipment suppliers, machine integrators, and contract manufacturing partners.
• Prior experience establishing or operating governance models for engineering or manufacturing standards.
• Familiarity with PLM, PLC, or comparable platforms used as a system of record for engineering and manufacturing standards.

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.