Director, Manufacturing Technical Training

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.

We’re 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.

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 Director, Manufacturing Technical Training will report to senior operations leadership and be responsible for the global strategy, development, and execution of technical training programs supporting Manufacturing, Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO), and Warehousing operations.

This leader will ensure technician readiness across production, service repair, failure analysis, logistics, and materials handling functions. The role will establish standardized technical training frameworks, certification pathways, and competency validation processes to support operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and workforce scalability across the global service and manufacturing network.

As a member of the operations leadership team, this individual will partner cross-functionally with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Service Operations, Supply Chain, Planning, Regulatory, and HR to ensure training programs align with product complexity, operational capacity needs, and global expansion initiatives.

The Director will optimize training resources, develop scalable learning systems, and ensure workforce capability keeps pace with new product introductions (NPI), repair complexity, automation, and distribution operations.

Essential Job Duties

This position has responsibility and authority for:

• Develop and drive employee training strategy in alignment with manufacturing team’s goals and business needs.
• Oversee the development of training programs at designated training centers to educate and support technicians and material handlers development of technology and skills.
• Drive innovation of new programs, resources and learning interventions to meet the needs of operations and ensure maximum impact.
• Identify & drive process improvements and standardization as the business grows and evolves.
• Measure training effectiveness and implement enhancements as necessary.
• Manage training managers to ensure training support is properly allocated to meet growing business demands on time and within budget.
• Hire, develop and train members of the training team to support the ever-growing needs of the market, including succession planning.
• Develop Training Managers and Training Specialists to effectively communicate and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders and provide constructive feedback where necessary.
• Effectively plan, organize, and prioritize the work of multiple managers and team members.
• Successfully monitor interim progress to ensure deliverables will meet quality, time, budget, and stakeholder expectations.
• Lead the Training Management Team to develop and continuously improve peer-to-peer courses,  e-learning and group training programs.
• Oversee the identification, implementation and management of training center logistics, inventory, calendar, annual and quarterly goals.
• Align with the Operations team to ensure capacity meets forecast demands.
• Monitor training related costs including lab rental fees, equipment, travel expenses and specimens; adjust as needed to achieve cost savings where feasible.
• Communicate risks and develop contingency plans for training in alignment with senior leadership.
• Monitor the quality of training delivery via the use of standardized processes for onboarding, competency checks and training assessment tools.
• Develop Training Managers to effectively communicate and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders and provide constructive feedback where necessary.
• Use innovative methods to optimize organizational structure and determine resource needs.
• Effectively manage complex communication at varying levels in the organization
• Lead strategic decisions and influence decision making at the highest levels both internally and externally.
• Develop competency within the manufacturing training organization

 

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in: Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Biomedical) or Manufacturing Engineering Technology or Operations Management or Supply Chain / Industrial Technology or equivalent technical experience
• 12+ years of experience in manufacturing, service repair (MRO), technical operations, or manufacturing engineering environments
• 5+ years leading technical workforce development, technician training, or manufacturing capability programs
•  Demonstrated experience supporting complex electromechanical assembly and repair operations
• Strong understanding of production assembly processes, troubleshooting, and repair workflows
• Experience building technician certification frameworks and skills matrices for assembly, repair, and failure analysis roles
•  Experience partnering with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Service Engineering to translate procedures into technical training
• Regulated manufacturing environments (FDA QSR (Quality System Regulation), ISO 13485)

Nice to have: 

• Process validation concepts
• Configuration-controlled documentation
• Controlled training records
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) manufacturing readiness
• Experience scaling technical workforce capability in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated ability to align technician capability development with throughput, quality, and cost objectives
• Strong program management and organizational leadership skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Equivalent experience in manufacturing, service repair (MRO), or technical operations leadership may substitute for a degree.
• Medical device manufacturing or service repair experience
• Experience supporting Field Replaceable Unit (FRU) repair operations
• Failure Analysis (FA) exposure
• Warehouse technical training experience (materials handling, ESD, traceability)
• Lean manufacturing / continuous improvement experience
• Experience implementing LMS-based technical certification systems
• Knowledge of equipment maintenance training and calibration processes

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: 7bab5017-cc77-4ec3-822e-680653c3a9a4

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-03-13T16:54:59