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 multiport software group within Intuitive has an immediate opening in Sunnyvale, CA for a Software Manager with a focus on the internal da Vinci emulator. You will manage a small team responsible for extending, deploying, and supporting our full-system emulator and hybrid hardware-in-the-loop setups.

A successful candidate must excel in a high-energy focused team environment and must balance delivery of new features, supporting existing features, and tracking system changes. An excellent candidate can rapidly learn the large complex and continually evolving systems, through establishing working relationships with multiple engineers in multiple departments. A deep sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required, as is the ability to make work fun and interesting.

Essential Job Duties

• Manage and mentor direct reports to teach them about the da Vinci system software, our emulation frameworks, and how to become a better software engineer.
• Manage the lifecycle of large-scale emulation features and direct individual contributors in developing, deploying, and supporting the features.
• Learn and explore the continuously evolving da Vinci system software and firmware
• Be an advocate for a “simulation-first” approach to software development that educates the wider engineering organization on the productivity benefits of using the emulator.
• Establish and facilitate continuous communication between the other software engineering teams (i.e. our internal customers) and our emulation teams to enable rapid prototyping, fast support, and system integration of the emulator.

Required Education, Skills & Experience

• Minimum 8 years as an individual contributor and 3 years as a people manager or prior management responsibilities through project management or team leadership efforts with a University degree
• Experience mentoring software engineers
• Extensive experience understanding and debugging complex systems
• Experience using C++ and Python
• Proficient communication skills and the ability to collaborate with a diverse range of talented engineers

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with Linux process management, signals, and inter-process communication
• Experience with software project methodologies (scrum, agile, XP, etc.)
• Experience with Linux Docker and Git

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].