Sr. Electrical Engineer - Equipment Controls

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 Sr. Equipment Electrical and Control Engineer will be an integral member of Intuitive Surgical AET team. The ideal candidate will be highly capable and play a lead role in the group’s activities including design, develop, test, implement, qualify, and maintain manufacturing equipment and software that support high-volume manufacturing of Intuitive System and Instruments and Accessories product lines. Expertise with custom equipment design and construction best practices will be leveraged to ensure that the manufacturing equipment is scalable and supportable in a high-volume, high up-time, multi-national manufacturing environment. Manufacturing and test equipment categories include hipot, continuity, PCA/ICT, leak/flow, robotic assembly cells, PLC controls, laser processes (welding, cutting, marking) and more. Success in this role will depend on the ability to manage numerous concurrent complex projects while maintaining the highest possible quality standards.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead cross-functional team projects focused on process and equipment development

• Define, build, and support the electrical and control systems for custom equipment. Create concepts, select, and source components. Design electrical panels, field wiring, and power distribution for custom automated equipment. Strive to create designs that are organized, structured, documented, maintainable, and reusable.

• Ensure manufacturing equipment designs meet functional, safety, and documentation requirements to facilitate efficient production operation across multi-national sites

• Develop electrical design standards, templates, and approved parts libraries to streamline and accelerate project execution across the team

• Provide technical mentorship to equipment staff on custom electrical and controls design as well as integration with manufacturing equipment.

• Manage multiple small-to-medium electrical projects concurrently

• Draft validation protocols and reports, and lead validation execution for equipment and processes

• Create and maintain equipment documentation

• Establish and manage external resources (contractors, system integrators, vendors) in the planning and execution of equipment projects. Transfer designs to contract manufacturers and support them with change implementations, training, maintenance, and troubleshooting

• Support manufacturing equipment by driving root-cause investigations and implementing solutions

• Improve test and manufacturing equipment to achieve better coverage, yield, and throughput

• Support quality and internal/external audits as required

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum 8-year experience in electrical systems and electro-mechanical systems design, preferably in the development, production, and support of automated equipment for the assembly of mechanical products.

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills including electrical circuit analysis and design, and electrical load analysis. Demonstrated ability to systematically analyze complex processes, electro-mechanical equipment, software, and data systems to effectively identify the root-causes of failures

• Strong understanding and hands on experience applying NFPA 79, NFPA 70E, and Cal-OSHA safety standards

• Strong ability to create electrical schematics, system layouts, and complex system documentation

• Strong electrical design tools expertise, AutoCAD Electrical preferred. Experience developing and maintaining AutoCAD templates, symbol libraries, and approved parts/BOM standards

• Experience coordinating panel design & fabrication with outside vendors

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills

Required Education and Training

BS in Electrical Engineering or related fields

Working Conditions

None

Preferred Skills and Experience (As applicable - Specific skills, knowledge, and experience that are not required to perform the job, but are desirable to have)

• Medical device industry experience

• Experience drafting and executing IQ/OQ/DQ protocols and reports

• Experience with equipment safety risk assessment; ISO 12100. And 10218

• Expertise in pneumatic systems

• Strong PLC software experience a plus; Beckhoff and Allen Bradley preferred. Ability to provide programming support or grow into ownership of full PLC projects

• Knowledge of and experience with FDA CFR Title 21 part 820 for medical devices

Experience with industrial robots, Fanuc, Denso, Mecha and UR preferred

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.