Thermal Design Engineer 3It 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:
Primary Function of Position: We are seeking a Thermal Design Engineer to join the Da Vinci Vision Hardware R&D team and partner in the architecture, development, verification, and transfer of next-generation vision systems from concept through launch. This role will serve as the thermal engineering owner and subject matter expert for endoscope, illumination, and computing products, with accountability for thermal architecture, performance, reliability, testing, and compliance. The successful candidate will ensure products are thermally robust, meet all applicable requirements, and maintain sufficient operating margin throughout their lifecycle. In addition to thermal leadership, this individual will contribute to broader mechanical and opto-mechanical design efforts as program needs require.
Qualifications:
Skills, Experience, Education, & Training:· BS in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Sciences, Physics, or related field.· 3+ years of experience in thermal engineering, electronics cooling, CFD, or thermal test and validation.· Strong understanding of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, airflow, and thermal management.· Experience with CFD tools such as ANSYS Icepak, FloTHERM, FLOEFD, Fluent, or similar.· Experience with thermal testing, instrumentation, and model correlation.· Direct experience with heat sinks, heat pipes, vapor chambers, TIMs, fans, and high-power electronics cooling.· Familiarity with advanced thermal materials and technologies.· Proficiency in SolidWorks, CATIA, or equivalent CAD tools.· Programming experience with Python, MATLAB, or similar scripting languages is a plus.· Demonstrated use of AI tools to improve engineering workflows and productivity.· Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.· Thrives in ambiguous, fast-paced development environments and demonstrates excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and shifting priorities simultaneously.· Prior experience with the Design Control processes for medical devices and clinical application of surgical instruments is a plus.· Prior experience with Agile Change Control and SAP is a plus.· Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.
What Success Looks Like:- Delivers thermally robust, compliant products with appropriate performance margin.· Translates ambiguous requirements into practical thermal solutions and validated designs.· Effectively connects simulation, testing, CAD, and manufacturing constraints to drive decisions.· Serves as the trusted thermal engineering expert across multiple Vision Hardware programs.· Contribute to broader mechanical and opto-mechanical design efforts when required.
