Interaction Designer

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:

Interaction Design is a key role at Intuitive Surgical, with responsibilities that cut across multiple technical disciplines. We bring a human-centered design process to healthcare innovation and the development of physical and digital interfaces that are safe, effective, and delight our users.

As a Senior Interaction Designer on the Ion team, you will participate in the definition and design of various elements of the platform, often extending across multiple touchpoints. You will work collaboratively with other designers, Human Factors engineers, clinical experts, and engineering teams to help develop new digitally-enabled solutions, including robotic control systems, medical image processing, data visualization, and other digital applications.

You will be involved in various stages of the product development process from early concepts to final design and implementation. The Ion platform has many exciting opportunities ahead, and we are excited to welcome you as a team member as we build the future of the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases.

This is a full-time on-site position in our Sunnyvale, CA Office.

Roles & Responsibilities:

About You:

• You are a fantastic designer and enjoy both learning and helping others become fantastic product thinkers and designers

• You are passionate about improving the life of patients and solving novel challenges in healthcare

• You are inclusive by nature and understand the purpose and value of cross-functional collaboration

• You enjoy collaborating with technical partners and thrive working on abstract and often unfamiliar design & interaction problems

• You know what quality looks and feels like, and can set the bar high and inspire others to reach that bar

• You are emotionally intelligent and have excellent listening, communication and analytical skills that help you to adapt in a dynamic, cross-functional environment

• You champion and embody user-centered design (UCD) in every way

• You help create a team culture in which everyone thrives and can do their best

What You’ll Do

• Design world class physical and digital interactions

• Uphold superior standards and methods throughout the product development life cycle

• Collaborate with Human Factors, Clinical, and Engineering teams throughout the product development process to ensure your designs are safe, effective, and feasible

• Document, maintain and share your project plans to ensure proper coordination with cross-functional partners

• Participate in discovery and research activities to develop and apply a strong understanding of end-users and the problem space

• Balance prioritized trade-offs that consider user, product, engineering and business needs as you iterate quickly through various design to narrow the solution space

• Collaborate with other interaction and visual designers to produce beautiful and functional interfaces

• Think systemically to create holistic design solutions that reinforce and contribute to the interaction design language of the product

• Propose clear and compelling designs with sound rationale addressing identified problems and opportunities

• Participate in the validation of product usability through informal and formal testing with representative users in lab and clinical settings

• Write clear, comprehensive and detailed user interface specifications for others to build and test against

Skills, Experience, Education, & Training:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Design, User Experience, or equivalent education

• Proficient in the use of current design tools and software applications, with strong prototyping experience

• Some professional experience working on medical devices or services

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time

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.