Supplier Process Engineer

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.

Position Overview

The Supplier Process Engineer (Single Port) is responsible for ensuring suppliers reliably support production manufacturing lines by meeting Intuitive Surgical’s requirements for quality, delivery, capacity, cost, and service. This role is highly execution-focused and partners closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Design, and Procurement to resolve line-impacting supplier issues, qualify manufacturing processes, and drive continuous improvement across the supply base.

This position owns supplier performance for components used in Single Port instruments, with direct accountability for issue resolution, process capability, and long-term supplier health.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical interface between manufacturing and suppliers for quality issues, line disruptions, yield loss, and capacity constraints
• Lead supplier issue resolution from containment through root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (CAPA)
• Support manufacturing lines by investigating and resolving supplier-related deviations, variances, and first article issues
• Own and execute supplier qualification and validation activities, including:• Supplier pFMEA
• IQ/OQ/PQ and process validations
• First Article Inspections and inspection reports
• Gage R&R and process capability analysis (Cp/Cpk)

• Approve and manage supplier changes including process changes, new equipment, facility moves, and production line validations
• Partner with suppliers to drive cost reduction, yield improvement, capacity expansion, and risk mitigation
• Generate and track supplier performance metrics and actively drive improvement against quality, delivery, and responsiveness targets
• Build and execute supplier development plans using Lean, Six Sigma, SPC, and structured problem solving
• Initiate and manage engineering change orders (ECOs) when supplier or manufacturing changes require updates to specifications or drawings
• Support new product introduction (NPI) by assessing supplier readiness, process capability, and ramp risk
• Communicate project status, risks, and recommendations clearly to cross-functional partners and management
• Provide data-driven supplier health updates and recommendations with minimal supervision
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or equivalent experience (advanced degree preferred)
• Minimum 2 years of experience in supplier engineering, manufacturing engineering, or quality engineering
• Hands-on experience with cables, extrusion, silicone molding, machined metal, or plastic injection molded preferred
• Experience supporting high-volume manufacturing environments, preferably in medical devices or regulated industries

Tools & Systems

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Project
• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP or Agile preferred
• Experience with Minitab or statistical analysis software is a plus
• CAD / 3D modeling experience is a plus

Additional Information

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed (approximately 25%)
• Must be able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment

Intuitive es un empleador que brinda igualdad de oportunidades de empleo. Proporcionamos igualdad de oportunidades de empleo a todos los solicitantes y empleados cualificados, y prohibimos cualquier tipo de discriminación y acoso, independientemente de su raza, sexo, condición de embarazo, orientación sexual, identidad de género, origen nacional, color, edad, religión, condición de veterano protegido o de discapacidad, información genética o cualquier otra condición protegida por las leyes federales, estatales o locales aplicables.

Aviso sobre los Controles de Exportación de EE. UU.: De acuerdo con las Regulaciones de Administración de Exportaciones de EE. UU. (15 CFR §743.13(b)), algunos puestos en Intuitive Surgical pueden estar sujetos a controles de exportación de EE. UU. para candidatos que sean nacionales de países actualmente bajo embargo o sanciones.

Cierta información que usted proporcione como parte de la solicitud será utilizada para determinar si Intuitive Surgical necesitará (i) obtener una licencia de exportación del gobierno de EE. UU. en su nombre (nota: el proceso de obtención de la licencia puede tardar entre 3 y más de 6 meses) o (ii) implementar un Plan de Control de Tecnología (“TCP”, por sus siglas en inglés) (nota: normalmente este paso agrega 2 semanas al proceso de contratación).

Para cualquier puesto en Intuitive sujeto a controles de exportación, las ofertas finales están condicionadas a la obtención de una licencia de exportación aprobada y/o a la ejecución de un TCP antes de la fecha de inicio del empleado potencial, la cual puede o no ser flexible, y dentro de un plazo que no obstaculice de manera irrazonable la necesidad de contratación. Si aplica, los candidatos serán notificados e instruidos sobre cualquier requisito relacionado con estos fines.