Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Company Description

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.

The Future Forward organization is Intuitive’s advanced concepts group. We explore emerging technologies, prototype next-generation solutions, and build software experiences that shape the future of robotic-assisted surgery. 

If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you’ll find your purpose here.

Job Description

Position Overview

We are seeking a hands-on, deeply technical individual contributor who delivers complex mechanical design solutions for next-generation surgical robotics instruments platforms. This Senior Mechanical Design Engineer role within our Future Forward team requires strong technical fundamentals, hands-on problem-solving ability, and a collaborative mindset. You will make significant individual contributions across the product lifecycle, from concept generation through human cases, while helping to raise the technical bar of those around you.

Key Responsibilities

Mechanical System Architecture & Design

• Work in a cross-functional project team to design and develop robotic surgical instruments.
• Design and develop complex mechanical and electromechanical and robotic systems’ instruments for surgical applications.
• Execute the end-to-end engineering process: translating user requirements and technical specifications into design solutions through concept generation, hands-on prototyping, testing, pre-clinical and verification/validation activities.
• Contribute to sound technology and design decisions, balancing system reliability, manufacturability,  risks, and clinical needs.
• Generate and execute test methods to characterize product prototype designs and to determine root cause of design, manufacturing, or material defects. Critically analyze test results and make design changes or recommendations to the design team.
• Generate product requirements and functional specifications that drive product safety, performance, and durability for robotic instruments, subsystems, and systems.
• Provide written protocols, reports, presentations, and perform technical design reviews to solicit feedback on design activities.
• Development and documentation of mechanical design and manufacturing documentation including: inspection procedures, assembly instructions, manufacturing processes, test methods, purchase specifications, BOMs, component / assembly drawings per the company’s operating procedures.
• Create and maintain SolidWorks CAD databases, including assemblies, components, and detailed drawings.

Project & Technical Leadership

• Actively contribute to multi-disciplinary R&D projects, taking ownership of assigned technical workstreams across the product lifecycle.
• Provide technical guidance and informal mentorship to junior engineers within the team, reviewing technical output and sharing best practices.
• Participate in and lead technical reviews and risk analyses within your area; support regulatory and standards compliance activities.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with software, electrical, systems, clinical, and manufacturing teams throughout product development.
• Observe clinical procedures and collaborate with clinicians to inform design and use requirements.
• Provide support for pre-clinical and clinical labs.
• Present complex concepts and data clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Rapidly develop and iterate functional prototypes to evaluate design solutions and validate key technical assumptions.
• Contribute to patent development and IP strategy.
• Observe clinical cases and participate in interviews with clinical experts to inform designs.