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Intuitive Surgical

Intuitive Surgical

Manufactures robotic surgical systems and services

Staff Embedded Software Engineer

Full-Time
$190.3k - $322.1k/yr

+ Incentives + Equity

Senior, Expert
Bachelor's
Sunnyvale, CA, USA
In Person

Preference is given to candidates who do not reside or plan to reside in the listed states.

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree or above in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a similar technical field.
  • At least 12 years of experience developing and supporting embedded systems, or 8 years with a master's degree or 5 years with a PhD degree.
  • Fluency designing and developing mission-critical cross-platform code in C++ or C, focused on embedded and real-time systems such as QNX.
  • Fluency with embedded compute architectures and their development and testing methodologies, including hardware debugging.
  • Fluency with communication protocols such as TCP/IP, CAN, and serialization protocols.
  • Fluency with memory management, concurrency, and synchronous and asynchronous event handling.
  • Working knowledge of Python or other scripting languages for automation, diagnostics, and testing.
  • Familiarity with Vivado and other FPGA development tools.
Responsibilities
  • Gather high-level cross-functional requirements, including customer-facing, clinical and safety, and cybersecurity requirements.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to define development plans and timelines that combine technical needs with schedule and resource needs.
  • Identify interfaces and communication requirements between hardware and software components, and architect modular, testable software supporting high-level system behaviors.
  • Support prototyping and development of novel surgical robotic platforms by leveraging and adapting infrastructure shared across Intuitive robotic systems.
  • Lead formal risk analysis, identify additional hardware requirements, and develop software mitigations.
  • Act as software lead for the high-level specification, bring-up, and integration of new custom PCAs and FPGA IP.
  • Perform detailed design, development, documentation, and verification support for embedded software and supervisory state machines in compliance with regulatory requirements and internal guidelines.
  • Contribute to software development for distributed multiprocessor systems, including video and servo hardware control and monitoring, interprocessor communication subsystems, diagnostic and service applications, and user interface development.
  • Apply specialized industry expertise to develop innovations and problem-solving approaches usable across multiple products.
  • Represent the project in interactions with external customer collaborators and internal stakeholders.
Desired Qualifications
  • Familiarity with servo controls and electromechanical systems.
  • Experience designing software products in a regulated industry or for mission-critical applications, including design input, design output, traceability, risk analysis, and mitigations.
  • Familiarity with medical technology projects from inception through field validation and launch, and strong understanding of medical product ecosystem services.
  • Familiarity with CUDA programming and memory management concepts.
  • Knowledge of cybersecurity concepts such as secure boot, authentication, and encryption.
  • Hands-on engineering experience and the ability to work effectively in a team environment.

About the company

Intuitive Surgical designs, manufactures, and sells robotic surgical systems and provides related services and accessories for minimally invasive surgery. The core product helps surgeons perform operations with enhanced precision by guiding robotic arms controlled from a console, allowing procedures to be done through small incisions. Instruments and consumables are used with the systems and are supported by service contracts, creating a recurring revenue stream. Compared to competitors, Intuitive has a large installed base and focuses specifically on robotic-assisted surgery, combining devices, disposable instruments, and ongoing services to support hospitals and surgical centers. Its goal is to improve patient outcomes by enabling safer, less invasive procedures while expanding the use and capabilities of robotic surgery for more procedures and providers.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Sunnyvale, California

Founded

1995

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q2 2026 revenue rose 19% to $2.89 billion, with 468 da Vinci placements.
  • Intuitive opened a 316,000-square-foot Penang plant, creating 1,200 jobs by 2032.
  • Direct Italy-Spain-Portugal distribution expanded March 2, 2026, strengthening European control.

What critics are saying

  • FDA logged a February 18, 2026 class-2 recall for da Vinci 5 software crashes.
  • Johnson & Johnson's Ottava won FDA approval in summer 2026, attacking Intuitive's core.
  • Medtronic Hugo and J&J Ottava commoditize robotics, breaking da Vinci's moat by 2028.

What makes Intuitive Surgical unique

  • da Vinci 5 won FDA cardiac clearance on January 26, 2026.
  • Ion and da Vinci generate recurring instruments, accessories, and service revenue.
  • da Vinci SP earned CE mark expansion on September 15, 2026.

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Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

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Yahoo Finance
Sep 17th, 2026
Intuitive Surgical, IonQ, and Accenture hold billions in net cash for growth

Investors seeking financial stability often look to companies with more cash than debt, as these businesses have greater flexibility for growth investments, buybacks, and dividends. Intuitive Surgical holds $5.22 billion in net cash. The robotic surgery pioneer achieved 20.7% annual revenue growth over the past two years, whilst its earnings per share increased 17.4% annually over five years. IonQ maintains $2.06 billion in net cash, representing 14.1% of its market capitalisation. The quantum computing company posted 181% annual revenue growth over two years and expects 163% growth next year. Accenture has $1.78 billion in net cash. The professional services firm employs approximately 774,000 people across more than 120 countries. Companies with strong balance sheets can navigate uncertain markets whilst pursuing expansion opportunities without the burden of significant debt obligations.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 23rd, 2026
Thermo Fisher vs Intuitive Surgical: which premium healthcare stock justifies valuation?

Thermo Fisher and Intuitive Surgical both delivered strong recent quarters, but their premium valuations rest on different foundations. Thermo Fisher's case depends on recovery in life sciences spending after the pandemic slowdown. The company's Life Sciences Solutions segment saw reported revenue climb 13% year-over-year, with organic revenue up 3%. The Analytical Instruments business returned to growth after nearly two years of weak demand, suggesting laboratory spending is normalising. Intuitive Surgical maintains its premium through business model strength. The company's non-GAAP gross profit margin reached 70.0%, whilst its non-GAAP operating margin expanded 330 basis points year-over-year to 42.1%. Recurring revenue streams constitute roughly 85% of total sales. Intuitive placed 468 da Vinci surgical units in fiscal Q2, marking 18% year-over-year growth, indicating continued hospital investment in robotic surgery platforms.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 19th, 2026
Abbott beats Q2 estimates with 13% sales growth as diagnostics surge 42%, while Intuitive Surgical posts 19% revenue rise

Abbott Laboratories reported strong fiscal Q2 2026 results, with sales rising 13% on a reported basis and 4.8% on a comparable basis, beating estimates and prompting the company to raise its annual profit forecast. The diagnostics segment was particularly strong, growing 42% to $3.09 billion, driven by its cancer diagnostics business following the Exact Sciences acquisition. Intuitive Surgical also exceeded expectations in Q2 2026, with revenue growing 19% to $2.89 billion and adjusted EPS of $2.80, beating forecasts by $0.30. The company placed 468 da Vinci units during the quarter, an 18% year-over-year increase, whilst maintaining a non-GAAP gross margin of 70.0%. The companies present contrasting investment cases: Abbott offers diversified healthcare portfolio resilience, whilst Intuitive Surgical relies on its robotic surgery ecosystem with recurring revenue comprising approximately 85% of total sales.

PR Newswire
Aug 17th, 2026
Intuitive leases 316,000-sq-ft facility in Penang to manufacture surgical instruments, create 1,200 jobs by 2032

Intuitive, the global leader in minimally invasive care and pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery, has signed a lease agreement with Penang Development Corporation for a new manufacturing facility in Malaysia. The 316,000-square-foot site in Bandar Cassia Technology Park will produce surgical instruments and electromechanical devices for Intuitive's da Vinci surgical system. The facility is expected to begin operations in 2028 and create 1,200 highly skilled jobs by 2032. The investment reflects Intuitive's commitment to Asia Pacific, where its da Vinci systems have treated more than 2.5 million patients across 13 markets over two decades. The expansion aims to support growing demand for robotic-assisted surgery across the region and strengthen Penang's position as a MedTech manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 16th, 2026
Oppenheimer upgrades Intuitive Surgical to 'Outperform' with $500 price target

Oppenheimer upgraded Intuitive Surgical from "Perform" to "Outperform" with a $500 price target, implying a 24.6% upside. The analysts expect the medtech company to maintain its leading position in robotic surgery despite increasing competition. Intuitive reported strong Q2 results, with revenue rising 18.5% year-over-year to $2.89 billion, surpassing analyst expectations. Non-GAAP earnings per share climbed 27.9% to $2.80, beating the $2.50 estimate. The company placed 468 da Vinci surgical systems and 55 Ion endoluminal systems during the quarter. Combined da Vinci and Ion procedures rose approximately 16% globally. Wall Street maintains a "Strong Buy" consensus rating on the stock, with 22 of 31 analysts recommending a strong buy. The consensus price target of $480.93 represents a 19.85% upside.