Senior Supplier Engineer

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

Job Description

Primary Function of Position:

Responsible for ensuring suppliers meet ISI requirements for quality, service, delivery, and cost. Drive suppliers to continuously improve business and manufacturing processes. Evaluate and select suppliers. Guide Engineering in choosing suppliers for new products and providing DFM input to new designs. Supports both NPI and ongoing production, monitors and works with suppliers to improve supplier performance. Executes detailed projects with suppliers to implement changes and improvements affecting quality, cost, capacity, risk, and sub-supplier management.

The ideal candidate has a track record of driving new optoelectrical and optomechanical product launches by collaborating with cross-functional teams and external suppliers or contract manufacturers. This individual has experience as a process engineer optimizing performance, quality, capacity, and cost, and has managed suppliers to maintain a healthy supply chain during new product introduction and scale-up.

Roles And Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with suppliers and functional teams including product, design, manufacturing, and the project management office (PMO) to launch new products by implementing improvements in performance, quality, capacity, and cost.
• Engage in the DFM process early in the development cycle to select optimal processes and suppliers for the part, considering long-term fit and total cost of ownership.
• Drive changes to ISI requirements as necessary by initiating and managing changes to specifications and drawings through the engineering change order process.
• Complete the part qualification process for production readiness and drive suppliers to complete deliverables, including but not limited to pFMEA, process validations, First Article Inspection (FAI), Cpk studies, DFx, operational metrics, capacity, and cost analysis.
• Establish milestones and success criteria for projects related to supplier activities within Intuitive and at our suppliers.
• Manage supplier changes, including but not limited to manufacturing process changes, production optimization, facility changes, new equipment qualification, and new line validations.
• Manage suppliers to continually improve their business and manufacturing process performance and excel in all key performance indicators (KPIs), such as supplier-owned quality, capacity, and sub-tier management.
• Own and drive to closure supplier variances from symptoms through root cause analysis to corrective action, including careful CAPA documentation.
• Clearly communicate project status to key stakeholders internally and externally.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Skill/Job Requirements:

To successfully perform the responsibilities of this position, the individual must possess:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, optics, physical or material science, or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in product design, manufacturing, process engineering, or a related field in optoelectronics
• In-depth understanding of the principles of physical optics (e.g., light delivery, polarization) and color science (e.g., white point, color gamut)
• In-depth experience manufacturing illuminators and display assemblies both internally and externally
• Strong technical skills in problem solving, root cause analysis, and driving corrective actions to closure
• Proven ability to interpret detailed drawings and execute tolerance stack-ups at both the assembly and part level
• Proven experience managing technical programs involving cross-functional teams and suppliers or contract manufacturers
• Solid understanding of best practices in project management, Six Sigma, Lean, and statistical process control
• Knowledge of document management systems and ERP Systems, preferably Agile and SAP
• Knowledge of 21 CFR part 820 and ISO 13485 preferred
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills
• Experience in the medical device, automotive, or aerospace industries is a plus.
• Ability to travel to suppliers and other company sites (domestic and international) as needed: 25%

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: 63b5910d-e041-47e8-986e-142ec51817a4

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-03-03T21:25:44