Full-Time

Staff Embedded Software Engineer

Posted on 8/19/2026

Intuitive Surgical

Intuitive Surgical

10,001+ employees

Manufactures robotic surgical systems and services

No salary listed

Sunnyvale, CA, USA

In Person

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

Bachelor's, Master's, PhD

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
TCP/IP
Python
CUDA
Cryptography
C/C++
FPGA

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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 in 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 combining 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 distributed multiprocessor software development, including video and servo hardware control and monitoring, interprocessor communication, system 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 to launch and 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.

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 Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q2 2026 revenue rose 19% to $2.89 billion, beating estimates on July 16.
  • Penang lease adds 316,000 square feet and 1,200 jobs, supporting Asia-Pacific growth.
  • Management kept 2026 da Vinci growth at 13.5%-15.5% and raised gross-margin guidance.

What critics are saying

  • FDA recall tracker listed multiple 2026 da Vinci Class II recalls, signaling quality-control strain.
  • Medtronic Hugo gained U.S. urology clearance in December 2025, tightening robotic-surgery competition.
  • 2027 extended instrument-use changes risk recurring revenue erosion if hospitals delay upgrades.

What makes Intuitive Surgical unique

  • Da Vinci installed base neared 13,000 systems worldwide, locking in switching costs.
  • Da Vinci 5 launched broadly in the U.S. in 2025, boosting utilization.
  • Ion procedures grew 36% in Q2 2026, extending Intuitive beyond soft-tissue robotics.

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Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
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.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 12th, 2026
Intuitive Surgical's valuation barely budges despite two years of growth forecasts

Intuitive Surgical trades at $401.23, down 32% from its 52-week high and 15% over twelve months. The stock currently trades at 37.7 times trailing adjusted earnings. Analysts forecast earnings of $12.08 per share by 2027, bringing the multiple down to 33 times — only 13% lower despite two years of growth. Consensus projects 7% annual earnings growth and 9.7% revenue growth, suggesting margin compression ahead. Management raised its 2026 gross profit margin guidance to 68-69%. However, the company plans to extend instrument use limits starting in the first half of 2027 to lower procedure costs and boost adoption. Intuitive has not finalised pricing for this programme, creating uncertainty around 2027 estimates. The company will quantify the impact on its next earnings call.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 8th, 2026
Medtronic and Intuitive Surgical lag market amid sector weakness

Medtronic and Intuitive Surgical, two medical device leaders, have underperformed this year due to sector weakness and company-specific challenges. However, both show potential for recovery. Medtronic's fourth-quarter revenue rose 9.9% to $9.8 billion, though adjusted earnings per share fell 4.3% to $1.55 due to higher costs, including tariffs. The company posted its highest annual revenue growth in a decade, driven partly by its Pulse Field Ablation franchise. Medtronic recently received FDA clearance for its Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system for urologic procedures, positioning it to compete in the underpenetrated robotic surgery market. The company plans to spin off its lower-margin diabetes care division, which should improve margins. With a 3.4% forward dividend yield and 49 consecutive years of payout increases, Medtronic appeals to income-focused investors.