Sr. Clinical Development Engineer - Strategy

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 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.

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 the Position

The Clinical Development Engineer - Strategy is a key member of Intuitive's early-stage innovation incubator, reporting to the Associate Medical Officer - Strategy. In this role, you will co-own the identification, evaluation, and early development of new clinical opportunities. Working alongside physicians and cross-functional partners, you will translate clinical insights into structured hypotheses, design and execute early de-risking strategies, and help determine which opportunities should advance within the innovation portfolio.

This role operates with a high degree of independence in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment, contributing directly to early-stage decision-making and portfolio prioritization.

Essential Job Duties

• Partner with physicians to identify and validate unmet clinical needs through clinical immersion, research, and voice-of-customer engagement
• Synthesize clinical, technical, and user insights into clear opportunity definitions and problem statements
• Co-develop clinical and technical hypotheses and translate them into structured development and experimental plans
• Lead the design and execution of early-stage de-risking strategies, including preclinical and exploratory evaluations
• Develop and refine initial procedural concepts and workflows for new technologies
• Collaborate with engineering to define early product requirements, use cases, and performance targets
• Drive early prototype and concept evaluations, translating findings into clear recommendations on opportunity viability
• Contribute to go/no-go decisions by synthesizing insights across clinical, technical, and user dimensions
• Engage with key opinion leaders and external stakeholders to inform opportunity assessment and validate insights

Qualifications

Experience and Qualifications

• Typically 8+ years of experience in medical device development, clinical engineering, or early-stage innovation
• Demonstrated ability to identify and frame complex problems in ambiguous environments
• Proven experience translating insights into structured hypotheses, development plans, or experimental approaches
• Experience working closely with clinicians and understanding clinical workflows and procedural environments
• Ability to co-own problem spaces and drive structured problem-solving in early-stage, high-ambiguity settings
• Strong analytical and systems-thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize diverse inputs into clear direction and recommendations
• Experience leading or contributing to clinical de-risking activities, including preclinical or early feasibility evaluations
• Ability to collaborate effectively across engineering, clinical, and business teams to drive aligned development outcomes
• Experience with clinical labs, cadaveric or animal models, and early-stage evaluations
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to concisely convey complex ideas clearly across clinical and technical audiences
• Experience in early-stage innovation, incubators, or R&D concept development preferred
• Exposure to Biodesign or needs-based innovation methodologies preferred

Education and Training

• Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field required
• Advanced degree (M.S., Ph.D., or equivalent) preferred

Additional Information

Working Conditions:

• Must be available to work full-time onsite in Sunnyvale, CA

• Will require travel to clinical sites, customer locations, or conferences (up to 25%)
• May involve standing or walking for extended periods during clinical observations or procedures
• Must be able to lift up to 20 lbs occasionally (e.g., for transporting prototypes or equipment)
• Ability to meet hospital credentialing and compliance requirements for clinical site access (e.g., vaccination)
• We are an…