Product Lifecycle Management Intern

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 Engineering Graduate Intern will support the New Product Development (NPD) and New Product Introduction (NPI) teams in advancing product lifecycle practices for a major medical device organization. This role provides hands-on experience with cross-functional engineering, quality, and manufacturing teams while contributing to the process mapping and analysis efforts required for the company’s next-generation PLM transformation. The intern will collaborate with SMEs to document current processes, identify inefficiencies, and propose improvements that enable a modernized, digital product lifecycle. This position reports to the Business Applications/Engineering Systems team and plays a key role in shaping future-state process design.

Essential Job Duties

• Work with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, and Program Management teams to understand current NPD/NPI workflows and product lifecycle processes.
• Document “as-is” business processes using industry-standard tools (e.g., Visio, Lucidchart, Miro) and develop detailed process maps, swimlane diagrams, and workflow definitions.
• Analyze gaps, redundancies, and inefficiencies in current processes and assist in defining “to-be” processes that support the next-generation PLM strategy.
• Participate in design control, requirements management, BOM management, and change management activities to gain hands-on experience with medical device product development.
• Support data collection, interviews, workshops, and discovery sessions with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Assist with PLM system assessments, including evaluating usability challenges, documenting pain points, and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Contribute to the development of business requirements, user stories, and functional specifications for the PLM modernization initiative.
• Prepare presentations, summaries, and documentation to support leadership decision-making and project governance.

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong analytical abilities with experience in process mapping, workflow design, or systems thinking.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Familiarity with product development concepts such as design controls, requirements management, BOMs, or engineering change processes.
• Interest in digital transformation, PLM systems, and medical device product lifecycle practices.
• Proficiency with process mapping tools (Visio, Lucidchart, Miro) and standard productivity applications.

University Hiring Program Eligibility Requirements:

• University Enrollment: Must be currently enrolled in and returning to an accredited degree-seeking academic program after the internship.
• Internship Work Period: Must be available to work full-time (approximately 40 hours per week) during a 10-12 week period starting May or June. Specific start dates are shared during the recruiting process.

Required Education and Training:

• Current enrollment in a Master’s program in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Ph.D. students may be considered based on relevant background and experience.

Working Conditions

• None beyond standard office/engineering workspace requirements.

Preferred Skills and Experience  

• Exposure to PLM tools (Agile PLM, Windchill, Teamcenter, Arena, or similar) is a plus.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or process improvement methodologies.
• Prior internship or project experience in medical device, manufacturing, or regulated product development environments.
• Familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) concepts.
• Strong documentation skills and ability to translate complex processes into clear visuals.

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.

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay (paid at an hourly rate), benefits, and a housing allowance. 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 relevant skills and experience for this internship, degree-seeking academic program (PhD, Master’s, Bachelor’s, etc), year in school, and location. The hourly rate is prorated against the intern program salaries listed and total program compensation will be based on internship duration.