Mechanical Engineer III, Instruments

Position: Mechanical Engineer III, Flexible Instruments
Company Description 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  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.

Were 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.

The Future Forward organization is Intuitive’s advanced concepts group. We explore emerging technologies, prototype next-generation solutions, and build software experiences that shape the future of robotic-assisted surgery. If you're ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you'll find your purpose here.

Job Description Primary Function of Position The Mechanical Engineer, Advanced Energy, is responsible for the technical development of advanced energy products ir focus will be on the mechanical/electrical design of advanced energy catheters and instruments, contributing to the exploration of a novel system concept for a new application of surgical robotics. They will be a member of the team supporting innovative technology development and commercialization.

They will apply strong mechanical design fundamentals to address design, material, and manufacturing challenges at the component and subsystem level, with guidance from more experienced engineers on team. They will contribute to troubleshooting and root cause analysis efforts, developing their ability to work across disciplines. They must excel in a high-energy, focused, small-team environment, and have a commitment to high quality prototypes and concepts.

A strong sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required as well as a commitment to high product quality.

Essential

Job Duties Work in a small, cross-functional project team to design, develop and verify new concepts for advanced energy catheters and/or flexible electromechanical instruments and related accessories (e.g. medical cables)
Develop, implement, test and document new solutions, processes, and designs according to corporate standards and departmental operating procedures, with guidance from senior engineers

Perform hands-on assembly and testing of devices to support proof of concept, design development, pre-clinical and V&V activities; proactively communicating findings and flag issues to immediate team Support investigation and determine root cause of emerging design or manufacturing defects/failures.

Development and documentation of design and manufacturing documentation including inspection procedures, assembly instructions, test methods, purchase specifications, BOMs, part and assembly drawings using appropriate change control procedures

Collaborate with clinical engineering team to assess product concepts and support tradeoff analysis of proposed designs and feature sets Observe clinical cases and participate in interviews with clinical experts to inform designs; provide support for pre-clinical labs and clinical cases

Establish individual goals consistent with overall project goals

Performs other duties as required to support the company's overall strategy and goals

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience Typical minimum of 5 years of relevant experience with Bachelors, minimum 3 years with a Masters Demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional research and development teams

Familiarity with FDA QSR 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, ISO 14971

Experience with rapid prototyping methods for instruments, components, and fixtures, including 3D printing and machining of plastics and metals

Experience/exposure to flexible catheter design, including material selection and common fabrication methods to at least few of the following areas: polymer processing, reinforcement structures, adhesive/thermal/mechanical joining, electromechanical integration etc.)Proficiency in CAD-based mechanical design (Solid Works preferred)
Experience working with suppliers

Ability to work independently under limited supervision while knowing…