Senior 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:

Lead Supplier Engineer on a design project. Responsible for influencing the design architecture, component specifications, and component manufacturing process based on supplier capabilities.  Responsible for DFM, cost modeling, commodity knowledge, support supplier selection and BOM cost targets.  Responsible for qualification of all components and launch plan.   Post launch, responsible for driving suppliers to continuously improve business and manufacturing processes.

Essential Job Duties

• Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) by translating design intent into clear, measurable specifications and manufacturable solutions

• Influence component technology, sourcing, and manufacturing approaches to meet quality, cost, scalability, and business objectives

• Evaluate and develop supplier capabilities, including process capability (Cp/Cpk), capacity, and workstation limitations, to ensure alignment with tolerance and production requirements

• Translate design requirements into optimized processes, tooling, fixturing, and sequencing, including appropriate fabrication and assembly methods

• Lead supplier technical reviews, capability assessments, and risk mitigation, including dFMEA/pFMEA alignment

• Define and execute process validation and qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ, FAI, Cpk) to ensure production readiness

• Develop and execute supply base strategies to mitigate risks related to lead time, sub-tier complexity, and sole-source dependencies

• Drive supplier development, root cause analysis, and CAPA to improve quality, delivery, and process robustness

• Establish and leverage supplier performance metrics (cost, quality, delivery, capacity, capability) to drive continuous improvement

• Partner cross-functionally with Design, Quality, and Operations to ensure alignment through development, launch, and production

• Develop and influence using metrics for supplier part cost, delivery, quality, capacity and capability by creating metrics to measure real improvement and judge required intervention or change at the supplier or in a commodity.

Required Skills and Experience

• Demonstrable expertise across a wide range of manufacturing processes, with deep specialization in metal fabrication including Precision machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding processes, surface treatment and coatings, Clear understanding of key input variables impacting quality, cost, cycle time and capacity.

• Proven ability to work alongside design engineers, assess supplier capabilities, assess process risk and capacity, drive supplier performance to meet production and compliance goals.

• Demonstrable knowledge in evaluating and challenging supplier technical, quality, and business capabilities

• Strong Project Management skills, with ability to manage multiple suppliers, timelines, and cross functional dependencies.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to present technical topics clearly to executive leadership.

• Excellent Interpersonal skills and cross-functional collaboration skills, with ability to influence both internal teams and external suppliers. building skills

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with sound engineering judgement and data-driven decision making.

• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems (preferably SAP) and strong working knowledge of MS office tools.

• Ability to read, interpret, and communicate complex mechanical drawings and specifications

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Manufacturing, or related field)

• 8+ years of relevant experience in Supplier Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Mechanical Design or related field.

Preferred Skills and Experience  

• Experience with GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and metrology techniques

• Knowledge of cutting-edge technologies used in metal fabrication in machining and sheet metal assembly, apply the supplier’s process capability to provide the design solutions.

• Familiarity with electro-mechanical assemblies and CAD tools

• Experience in regulated environments (ISO 13485, 21 CFR Part 820)

• Background in Lean, Six Sigma, or SPC implementation

• Experience with supplier audits, process validation, and qualification

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.