Senior Systems Research Engineer – Embodied AI & Robotics

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.

As a Senior Systems Research Engineer, you will join a future-forward team to explore and build embodied AI applications at the intersection of state-of-the-art AI/ML and robotics. In this deeply hands-on technical role, you will recommend performant architectures, and iteratively develop and integrate embodied AI applications to de-risk and demonstrate technical feasibility, performance, and safety. Your goal is to ensure that embodied AI applications are seamlessly developed and integrated into high-quality, reliable product development.

You will act as architect, developer, and integrator, partnering cross-functionally with motion controls, perception, AI/ML, software, and hardware teams to address significant unmet needs. Success in this role requires excelling in an agile, small-team environment—transforming initial concepts into robust prototypes, iterating methodically, and consistently maintaining safety, performance, and quality with a patient-first mindset.

Roles and Responsibilities

• System Architecture & Integration: Design and optimize software interfaces between subsystems, ensuring seamless integration between edge AI, firmware, OS, hardware, and cloud services. You will oversee the deployment and continuous improvement of these systems to ensure high reliability and performance.
• Robotic Control & Data Pipelines: Architect and build robust data pipelines and real-time systems for sensor fusion, perception, and robotic control. You will focus on optimizing AI/ML models specifically for embedded platforms to achieve low-latency execution.
• Engineering Excellence: Apply rigorous software practices, including writing maintainable code, modular architecture, and comprehensive testing. You will document intellectual property and adapt to evolving project needs by exploring diverse frameworks before specializing in high-impact technology stacks.
• Project Ownership & Strategy: Lead complex, end-to-end embodied intelligence projects, making critical architectural decisions and technical trade-offs. You will define the strategic roadmap for the robotics platform—from foundational models to real-time onboard inference—while serving as a core contributor to team planning and design reviews.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with motion controls, perception, and hardware teams during early-stage exploration to address clinical, functional, and safety requirements. You will work closely with the research and product development teams to integrate perception, planning, navigation, and multimodal ML models onto edge platforms.
• Iterative Development: Refine designs by balancing technical feasibility with schedules and resource constraints. You will drive the transition from broad technical exploration to deep-dive implementation as the product matures.

Skill/Job Requirements

• Master’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related technical field; advanced degrees preferred.
• 6+ years of embedded systems software development (or equivalent experience), including R&D and innovation environments.
• Proficiency in multiple programming languages (e.g., C, C++, Python, Matlab) and building real-time, multi-threaded applications.
• Experience with industrial embedded operating systems (e.g., QNX, Yocto), inter-process communication, hardware interfaces, and CUDA programming.
• Experience with machine learning models, and frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc
• Expertise in developing AI/ML-based embedded solutions, including training and fine-tuning foundation models and hardware acceleration techniques.
• Experience in robotics, including motion control, perception, sensor fusion, path planning, and optimizing models for platforms with limited resources.
• Strong problem-solving, adaptability to new technologies, and excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Additional Information

• Location: Sunnyvale, CA (onsite).
• Travel: Up to 10%, including lab and preclinical environments.
• Compensation: Competitive salary, equity, annual bonus, and comprehensive benefits.
• Intuitive is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair-chance laws.

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.

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.