Senior Embedded Software Engineer - Platform Software

About the role

Our team designs and builds the embedded platform software infrastructure that supports critical performance, safety and user-facing features of the da Vinci™ Surgical System, Intuitive's flagship product.

We're looking for a high energy, experienced embedded software engineer to take technical ownership across our embedded platform software stack.

In this role, you will lead board bring-up initiatives, drive architectural decision for our next-generation platforms, and serve as a technical anchor for the team - mentoring junior engineers and collaborating cross-functionally with hardware, system software, and FPGA teams. You will own critical subsystems supporting video networking, UI display, and machine learning capabilities of Da Vinci 5 while driving improvements in robustness, reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead board bring-up activities for next generation-based platforms including bootloader configuration, BSP customization, peripheral driver integration and system validation - taking end-to-end ownership from initial power-on through production readiness.
• Own development and drive the technical direction of embedded software for video networking, UI display, and machine learning applications on Linux-based systems - including architectural decisions, code review and performance optimization.
• Design and own comprehensive test strategies to validate board functionality, peripheral interfaces, and system performance metrics - including defining acceptance criteria and driving resolution of complex hardware-software integration issues.
• Partner with and technically guide hardware engineers to identify, root-cause and resolve board-level issues during early development phases - serving as the primary software interface for cross-functional hardware bring-up
• Architect and lead the development of automated test frameworks for board validation and regression testing - establishing scalable infrastructure usable across multiple platform variants.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and hands-on debugging support - actively contributing to the growth of the team.
• Author and maintain technical documentation including design specifications, bring-up procedures, and failure analysis reports in compliance with FDA-regulated development processes.

Required Education, Skills & Experience

• Minimum of 8 years of related experience and a Bachelor's degree; or 6 years experience and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years of experience; or equivalent experience
• Expert-level proficiency in C or C++ for embedded systems development, including memory management, real-time constraints, and performance-critical code
• Experience in bare-metal, embedded Linux, including kernel internals, custom device driver development, BSP bring-up, and user space application development
• Proficiency with embedded development and debugging tools including GDB, JTAG, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and cross-compilation toolchains
• Proven hands-on experience with hardware interfaces and protocols (I2C, I2S, T1S, SPI, UART, USB, Ethernet, CAN) - including bring-up debugging, and driver development for each
• Debugging and root-cause analysis skills, with a track record of resolving complex, multi-layer Hardware-FPGA-software integration failures in time-critical environments
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and technically develop junior and mid-level engineers
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for technical documentation and cross-functional team collaboration

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Hands-on experience with NVIDIA Jetson platforms (TX2/Xavier/Orin or similar) or comparable ARM-based SOCs in a production embedded environment
• Hands-on experience with GPU acceleration (CUDA) and hardware-accelerated inference frameworks (TensorRT) in production embedded systems
• Experience with QNX RTOS or other real-time operating systems in safety-critical applications.
• Proficiency in Python and bash scripting for test automation, bootup design, and build system integration
• Demonstrated ability to root cause complex hardware-software interactions
• Demonstrated experience in and comfort with all phases of the product development lifecycle including design, implementation, debug, verification, validation, and transfer to manufacturing
• Experience designing software products in an FDA or other regulated industry or for mission critical applications; comfortable with concepts of design input, design output, traceability, risk analysis, and mitigations

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.

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.

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.

Accommodation & Accessibility Notice

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.