Sr Software 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

Primary Function of Position
The Ion™ endoluminal system is Intuitive's robotic platform for minimally invasive biopsy in the peripheral lung. Our initial goal is improving the early diagnosis of lung cancer. The Ion R&D team is looking for a gifted engineer to contribute to our planning software, PlanPoint, which helps our physician users create a 3D model of a patient’s lung based on pre-operative medical images.

As a Sr Software Engineer, you will design and implement a variety of new user-facing features for PlanPoint. The ideal candidate is an independent developer with excellent problem-solving skills, capable of producing robust, high-quality code in the face of rapidly changing requirements.

Essential Job Duties

• Work as part of a cross-functional team in a fast-paced, start-up-like business unit
• Prototype new GUI elements, and rapidly iterate to prove concepts or fail quickly
• Design and implement high-quality software in C++
• Contribute to system and software architecture for the Ion platform
• Contribute to formal software documentation

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Four years of experience designing user-facing software applications
• Strong working knowledge of C++ and object-oriented programming
• Great communication skills
• High levels of independence and technical ownership
• Full-stack mentality, with flexibility to contribute to different areas of the codebase

Required Education and Training

• BS in computer science or equivalent

Working Conditions
None

Preferred Skills and Experience

• MS or PhD in a related field
• Experience designing medical device software
• Experience working hands-on with X-ray, ultrasound, CT, or other relevant imaging modalities
• Experience working with machine learning or deep learning systems and analysis pipelines
• Experience with GUI frameworks such as Qt or QML
• Experience with graphics libraries such as OpenGL or OpenSceneGraph
• Experience with parallel programming and Cuda is a plus
• Experience with game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine is a plus

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: 11eb3bb9-91ac-408b-9a82-37ea3d061186

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-01-29T16:28:12