Sr. New Product Development Engineer - Mechanical Design
Intuitive
Summary
The individual will lead design, development, and testing of components and sub-systems for existing and next generation Endoluminal instruments, steerable catheter-based devices, and accessories that will interface with a robotic system. This role serves as a key technical contributor and leader, responsible for complex design challenges, project leadership, and advancing solutions through the product development process.
Job description
Primary Function of Position
The individual will lead design, development, and testing of components and sub-systems for existing and next generation Endoluminal instruments, steerable catheter-based devices, and accessories that will interface with a robotic system. This role serves as a key technical contributor and leader, responsible for complex design challenges, project leadership, and advancing solutions through the product development process.
The candidate will work within a technical team and with outside suppliers to develop and evaluate new technology solutions, establish design requirements to meet customer and company needs, prototype and refine designs, and advance them through the product development process to commercialization.
Essential Job Duties
- Design, prototype, troubleshoot, and optimize components and subassemblies of rigid and flexible catheter structures
- Evaluate component and subsystem designs within the context of overall system performance, reliability, manufacturability, and user experience
- Establish technical direction, driving trade-off decisions, and influencing cross functional teams
- Collaborate cross functionally to understand and drive clarity on clinical, usability, and business needs, and decompose these needs into design requirements
- Drive rigorous understanding of design risks by learning not just how a design behaves, but why
- Complete detailed drawings and conduct tolerance analysis statistical best practices appropriately
- Drive failure investigations using rigorous but efficient experimental plans
- Prepare protocols/reports/summaries/readouts to capture and communicate design progress and defend / propose design decisions
- Develop and improve test methods and assembly fixturing to support building and testing on prototypes
- Collaborate cross functionally with supplier engineers, manufacturing process development engineers
- Review design changes on existing products for impact on regulatory and manufacturing
- Mentor and guide technicians and junior engineers
Requirements
- Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
- Minimum 6 years of experience in a mechanical design or catheter design role
- Proficiency using CAD to create, fabricate, and document medical device designs
- Experience with prototyping and fabrication methods including 3D printing, extrusion, injection molding, machining, wire EDM, welding
- Proven ability to apply engineering first principles to solve engineering problems
- Exceptional mechanical aptitude and visual thinking skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills utilizing finite element analysis, statistics, and experimental designs
- Proven ability to iterate prototypes and mock-ups rapidly
- Experience applying GD&T, tolerance stack analysis, and design-for-manufacturing principles
- Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
- Experience collaborating with multi-disciplinary internal functions and external suppliers
- Strong understanding of all phases of Design Control
- Proven ability to work well in a team environment as well as solo assignments
- Demonstrated ability to follow through and sense of urgency
- Self-starting, hands-on, and habitually curious
- Demonstrated ability to handle multiple complex priorities
- MS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent (preferred)
- Experience with catheter design and manufacturing (preferred)
- Understanding of mechatronics, robotics, and servo-controlled systems (preferred)
- Experience developing requirements and performing risk assessment of candidate designs (preferred)
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Equity
- Incentives
- Market-competitive compensation
Company overview
Intuitive Surgical, Inc., commonly known as Intuitive, is a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, the company has revolutionized surgical procedures through its flagship da Vinci Surgical System and Ion endoluminal system. As a publicly traded company on NASDAQ (ISRG), Intuitive has established itself as the dominant player in robotic surgery, with over 15,000 employees worldwide and an installed base of thousands of surgical systems across more than 60 countries. The company's innovative platforms enable surgeons to perform complex procedures with enhanced precision, flexibility, and control through minimally invasive techniques. Intuitive's technology portfolio includes advanced vision systems, wristed instruments, and intelligent software that work together to optimize surgical outcomes. The company continues to expand its product offerings and geographic presence while maintaining a strong focus on clinical evidence, physician training, and patient safety. With annual revenues exceeding $8 billion, Intuitive represents a transformative force in modern healthcare, driving the adoption of robotic-assisted procedures across multiple surgical specialties including urology, gynecology, general surgery, and thoracic surgery.