Intuitive
Sr. Clinical Development Engineer
Sunnyvale, CA, United States
Posted August 11, 2026
Job description
Primary Function of Position:
This Sr. Clinical Development Engineer (CDE) position reports to the Clinical Development Engineering Manager on the Ion Endoluminal platform. In this position, Sr. CDE utilizes their in-depth clinical, technical and design control knowledge to collaborate with physicians and design engineering to discover, define, develop, and validate new product solutions for flexible robotic catheter platforms. Their primary focus is to understand user needs, establish clinical and engineering requirements, consider clinical risks and identify solutions to guide product development. This position will also allow exploration of future robotic clinical applications and solutions.
Roles and Responsibilities:
The responsibilities for this position include:
• Clinical and Technical knowledgeApply in-depth clinical knowledge and technical system understanding in defining and developing products based on clinical needsCollaborate with physicians and key clinical users on clinical procedure development and understanding product feedbackClearly define clinical need and requirements for productDevelop test models and test methods for clinically relevant product evaluations.Assess potential clinical risks and propose mitigations as an input to product designObserve cases and communicate assessment of robotic value and/or opportunitiesContribute expertise into clinical protocol design and strategy
• Product LeadershipParticipate in early design investigation teams that are lean and efficient with a focus on product enhancements & new product ideas.Drive frequent stakeholder alignment and solicit appropriate user feedbackDrive decision making and escalate key issues quicklyKeep the organization’s vision and values at the forefront of decision making and actionEducate cross functional team on clinical workflowSupport product launches and/or clinical trials and collect early field feedback
• Design ControlConduct clinical risk analysis for new products or updatesLead testing and clinical evaluations of new product featuresCollaborate with cross functional team members including regulatory, human factors, training, engineering and product management to determine design and development key inputsDrive design validation testing strategy for new products and get alignment on the strategy with key regulatory and engineering stakeholders
Skill/Job Requirements:
• Masters or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or similar
• Minimum of 4 years of clinical development and design control experience including the MS
• Experienced in driving medical device products and features from concept to market
• Experience collaborating with physicians and collecting feedback on clinical use of the products
• Experience understanding clinical harms and performing clinical risk analysis
• Fluent in medical terminology and sound knowledge of anatomy
Nice to haves:
• Experience working in cross-functional teams and proven ability to cultivate collaboration across multiple disciplines (marketing, regulatory, quality, product design, engineering, human factors) to ensure project success.
• Experience developing design validation strategy, protocol creation and testing
• Experience leading hands-on product evaluation testing in a pre-clinical lab setting
• Self-starter needing minimal supervision
• Self-confident and able to react quickly under pressure
• Ability to adapt priorities in a fast paced, dynamic, product development team
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills including presentation of technical content
Travel:
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, internationally and domestic
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.