Software Engineer 3

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

The Software Engineer contributes to the development of backend services that connect and support DaVinci surgical systems deployed in hospitals worldwide. These services enable critical functionality including surgeon authentication, procedure configuration, system telemetry, and device status monitoring.

In this role, you will design and build distributed backend systems that enable communication between surgical systems in the field and cloud-based services. You will work closely with cross-functional engineering teams to develop and implement AI and Generative AI solutions to automate engineering and operational workflows, improving efficiency and reducing manual effort across development and operational processes.

What You'll Do

• Develop and develop Python-based microservices that support authentication, configuration, and telemetry services for surgical systems
• Build and implement AI/GenAI-powered automation to streamline engineering and operational workflows.
• Apply LLMs, AI agents, and automation tools to improve productivity, analysis, and decision-making.
• Prototype and integrate emerging AI/GenAI technologies into development, testing, and operational systems.
• Build APIs and backend services that integrate with surgical platforms and internal engineering systems
• Design and implement event-driven messaging infrastructure using technologies such as NATS, MQTT, or similar systems
• Develop secure authentication and authorization workflows using OAuth2, JWT, and credential validation
• Design communication patterns between device systems and backend services
• Build and maintain data pipelines that ingest and store system logs and operational telemetry
• Implement high-availability system architectures including clustering, failover, and resilience patterns
• Develop database integrations using SQL Server and ORM frameworks
• Build deployment automation and operational tooling for cloud-hosted services
• Monitor production systems, diagnose operational issues, and improve system reliability
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including platform engineering, UI teams, DevOps, and analytics teams
• Ensure compliance with security and healthcare data standards including HIPAA

Qualifications

What You'll Bring

• Minimum 5 years of related experience with a University degree; or 3 years experience and a Master’s degree; or a PhD without experience; in Computer Science or related field
• Strong programming experience in Python (async programming, asyncio, async/await)
• Experience building distributed microservices and REST/RPC APIs
• Experience working with event-driven architectures and messaging systems such as NATS, MQTT, RabbitMQ, or similar technologies
• Experience implementing secure authentication mechanisms including OAuth2 and JWT
• Experience designing backend systems that communicate with distributed devices or external systems
• Experience working with SQL databases (SQL Server preferred) and ORMs such as SQLAlchemy
• Experience deploying containerized services using Docker and CI/CD pipelines
• Familiarity with cloud environments such as AWS, GCP, or Azure
• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills in production systems
• Experience working in Linux environments and using Git-based development workflows
• Strong written communication and technical documentation skills

Physical Requirements

• Onsite - This job is fully onsite.

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: 13ac2cb0-8886-4681-a083-c7b8c5e53fa2

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-03-10T15:33:29