Director, Firmware Engineering, MP

Company Description

At Intuitive, we are united behind our mission: we believe that minimally invasive care is life-enhancing care. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints.

As a pioneer and market leader in robotic-assisted surgery, we strive to foster an inclusive and diverse team, committed to making a difference. For more than 25 years, we have worked with hospitals and care teams around the world to help solve some of healthcare's hardest challenges and advance what is possible.

Intuitive has been built by the efforts of great people from diverse backgrounds. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere. We strive to foster an inclusive culture built around diversity of thought and mutual respect. We lead with inclusion and empower our team members to do their best work as their most authentic selves.

Passionate people who want to make a difference drive our culture. Our team members are grounded in integrity, have a strong capacity to learn, the energy to get things done, and bring diverse, real world experiences to help us think in new ways. We actively invest in our team members to support their long-term growth so they can continue to advance our mission and achieve their highest potential.

Join a team committed to taking big leaps forward for a global community of healthcare professionals and their patients. Together, let's advance the world of minimally invasive care.

Job Description

Primary Function of Position:

The Director of Firmware Development for the Multiport Organization leads a functional team of talented and dedicated managers and individual contributors focused on the design, testing and implementation of firmware on a suite of FPGAs to enable critical vision, motion control, communications and safety functions for the daVinci Robotic Platform and other Intuitive products.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Direct a technical team to specify, design, develop, verify, and maintain FPGA firmware
  • Collect technical requirements from cross-functional teams
  • Architect and manage development of high-performance FPGA IP
  • Define and champion best practices and development processes
• Develop system-level architecture, requirements, and specifications in cooperation with Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Engineering teams
• Select FPGA devices for cost, capacity and performance to meet project requirements
• Manage relationships with FPGA and tool vendors
• Provide guidance to and grow the leaders of the FPGA firmware teams
• Provide direction and foster an environment that encourages creativity and completion
  • Help the team develop technical strategies that address business needs and requirements
  • Work with senior executives and internal customers to define product pillars and business goals
• Manage managers, departmental budget, resource allocation and enterprise-level business applications pertaining to the functional unit

Qualifications

Experience, Education, & Training:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Computer or Electrical Engineering, Master’s degree preferred
• 15+ years of experience developing electronics and FPGA-based products
• 10+ years of managing technical teams
• Extensive experience coding VHDL and/or Verilog required
• Extensive experience with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs and Tools required 
• Strong project management, planning, decision making, negotiating and change management skills
• Experience with product design in an FDA (or other agency) regulated industry for mission critical applications is desired; comfort with concepts of design input, design output, traceability, and risk analysis
• Excellent communication (written, verbal), presentation and documentation skills
• Ability to travel domestic and internationally on an as needed basis

Additional Information

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.

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.

Client-provided location(s): Sunnyvale, CA

Job ID: 2802535f-6183-4e1b-a857-d617f2e156bf

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2025-11-22T01:28:01