Staff Supplier Engineer

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.

Primary Function of Position

The ideal candidate possesses in-depth experience, both conceptual and hands-on, in metal machining, manufacturing processes for tooled parts (metal casting and plastic injection-molding), and additive manufacturing. In addition, this candidate has the skills and experience to assess, select, and develop optimal supplier partners in these processes and commodities while mentoring and developing our team.

In addition, the ideal candidate possesses a solutions-oriented approach to use critical-thinking and their engineering experience to help solve challenges faced by our cross-functional teammates in Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Quality Engineering.

This position has both Sustaining and NPI responsibilities listed below.

Sustaining Responsibilities:

• As an expert in supplier engineering, develop resolution to critical issues and broad design matters affecting departmental and cross-functional projects and teams.
• Serve as a technical advisor to senior leaders.
• Expertly translate complex technical problems into solutions.
• Work diligently and relentlessly with suppliers to build and own a vision to improve delivery, quality, cost, and capacity by identifying risks and appropriate mitigations.
• Plan and execute supplier change projects affecting a combination of supply continuity, quality, cost, capacity, and supply chain risk management that include manufacturing and inspection process changes, capacity optimization, facility changes, and new equipment qualifications.
• Drive suppliers to continually improve their business and manufacturing processes with an eye on supplier scorecard performance, and to meet Intuitive’s requirements by using a collection of best practices in project management, SPC, and negotiation by leading these independently.
• Investigate, analyze, close, and prevent recurrence of variance requests for purchased components from suppliers.
• Monitor supplier performance and initiate improvement activities, including the ownership of CAPAs for supplier variances from symptom through root cause analysis, to corrective action, and preventive action.
• Drive changes to Intuitive requirements with occasional engineering calculations, SolidWorks assembly review, and initiating and managing changes to specifications and drawings through the change order process.
• Complete project and part qualification deliverables including Process FMEA, Process Capability Analysis, FAIR, Process Validations, and Gage R&R.

NPI Responsibilities:

• Understand the state-of-art in your components’ manufacturing technologies and processes.
• Lead Design for Manufacturability (DFM) activities by engaging the cross-functional engineering team and suppliers early in the development cycle to obtain valuable feedback on manufacturability, opportunities for improved assembly at Intuitive, and design improvements prior to production.
• Select the correct manufacturing process and supplier for the part, considering metrics such as long-term fit with Intuitive, commodity specialization, capacity, and total cost of ownership.
• Develop supplier production readiness based on forecast, supplier capacity, quality performance, and process capability.
• Complete project and part qualification deliverables including: Process FMEA, Process Capability Analysis, FAIR, Process Validations, and Gage R&R.

Required Education, Skills, Experience

• Bachelor's with at least 12 year or Master’s Engineering Degree with at least 8 years or relevant experience in engineering and manufacturing of machined metal parts, tooled parts (metal casting and plastic injection-molding), and additive parts.
• Strong and persistent curiosity for solving technical problems in component manufacturing, testing, and inspection.
• Experience with a wide range of manufacturing processes, including understanding of key input variables for quality, cost, and capacity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, which will be tested regularly when interacting with our cross-functional engineering team. Experience communicating with executive level management.
• Excellent ability to handle challenging technical and interpersonal situations to ensure solid relationships with our internal customers and supply chain.
• In-depth knowledge of Part Qualification, Process FMEAs and Process Validations.
• Highly experienced in reading and interpreting detailed mechanical drawings containing GD&T to be able to communicate technical information regarding manufacturing and inspection.
• Significant computer experience using Microsoft Office suite, Product Lifecycle Management software (e.g. Agile), and ERP software (e.g. SAP).
• Experience with statistical analysis software such as Minitab.
• Knowledge of 21 CFR part 820 and ISO 13485 or experience at a medical device company.
• Experience with low-volume, high-mix production environments.

Working Conditions

• Ability to travel to suppliers on an as-needed basis, both domestically and internationally.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience in Design Engineering.
• Experience managing 1-3 engineers for future growth and development.
• CAD experience with 3D modeling tools, preferably SolidWorks.

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.

This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on
business need and/or on the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills.
Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the
candidate’s qualifications, consistent with applicable law.

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.