Senior Level Field Application Scientist Jobs

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

We are a lean team of five developers responsible for creating and scaling software packages that
power our global product servicing. Our software packages interface directly with hardware to
execute critical configuration, calibration, and verification checks, while guiding service users
through complex repairs. Operating with high autonomy within the broader Service Tools team, we
value collaboration and pragmatic design.

What You'll Do

• Develop and enhance software tools used by field service engineers to install, maintain, and troubleshoot robotic systems.
• Integrate software components within a larger system architecture and resolve issues across multiple upstream and downstream dependencies.
• Own specific software packages for assigned products, ensuring reliable performance and consistent behavior in the field.
• Work at the tail end of product development to translate upstream features, processes, and content into usable service tooling.
• Collaborate with product support engineering, embedded software, manufacturing software, and field service teams to integrate inputs into cohesive solutions.
• Identify gaps or inefficiencies in existing processes and propose improved approaches for integrating content and workflows into service tools.
• Ensure a consistent and intuitive user experience across software packages used by the same end users.

Qualifications

What You'll Bring

• Minimum Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or adjacent field with 8 years of experience, or Master's degree with 6 years of experience, doctorate degree with 3 years of experience
• Strong proficiency in Python (required), with experience building production software tools.
• Experience debugging and resolving issues across complex systems with multiple
  dependencies.
• Proven ability to lead or take ownership of projects that involve collaboration
  across multiple engineering teams
• Experience working in environments with structured processes for requirements,
  testing, and validation (e.g., medical, aerospace, or similar regulated industries preferred)
• Comfort working with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including field
  engineers and cross-functional partners
• Demonstrated ability to think creatively and improve existing processes or
  workflows
• Experience developing desktop or service-oriented applications (Qt or similar tools
  a plus)
• Familiarity with modern development practices including unit testing and CI/CD
  pipelines.

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.

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.

Base Compensation Range Region 1: $188,600 USD - $271,400 USD
Base Compensation Range Region 2: $160,300 USD - $230,700 USD
Shift: Day
Workplace Type: Set Schedule - This job will be onsite weekly, the percentage of onsite work will be defined by the leader.