Staff Ultrasound Engineer

Job description

Primary Function of Position The Endoluminal design group at Intuitive is a dynamic and multidisciplinary team developing technologies for the next generation of minimally invasive surgical robotics. We are seeking a Staff Ultrasound Engineer with expertise in ultrasound technology to support development of the next generation of minimally invasive robotic flexible instruments. This role sits at the intersection of acoustics, electronics, and system performance, and is critical to ensuring high image quality, product reliability, and successful product development.

The engineer will be responsible for transducer design and platform integration efforts from concept through verification and scaled manufacturing, including management of external design partners. The successful candidate will have both a desire to be hands-on and the technical depth to resolve complex electro-mechanical, signal processing and manufacturing design issues. This is a high-impact technical leadership role requiring the skills to lead an interdisciplinary team to develop ultrasound platforms from concept through commercialization, including development of a roadmap to reach the next leap in clinical imaging technology.

Essential Job Duties

Design and Development Own the ultrasound transducers and electrical interfacing design from concept to commercialization.

• Design and test ultrasound transducers including simulations, fabrication, and limit testing to enhance image performance
• Provide hands-on imaging support during laboratory, preclinical, and clinical activities
• Collaborate with hardware and software engineers on front-end electronics, data acquisition, and system integration.

Work closely with product development partners to ensure cohesive system development. Drive continual improvement of image quality and reliability through troubleshooting, design and process ideation, product implementation, verification, and clinical validation. Partner with systems team to develop and optimize signal processing and system parameter tuning, including management of external design partners. Conduct or advise on finite element modeling (FEM) and acoustic simulations (e.g., COMSOL, ANSYS/PZFlex, OnScale) to optimize acoustic stacks, backing, and matching layers.

Subject matter expert

Provide transducer and acoustic technical expertise to cross functional groups including operations, regulatory, and clinical teams especially in technical explanation and root cause analysis. Build ultrasound imaging literacy across business unit. Collaborate with Research, Marketing and Product Management organizations to define new feature requirements to meet specific clinical applications and market needs. Develop and participate in medical ultrasound feasibility and research projects to support research and development Provide technical guidance on design decisions that impact ultrasound image quality performance across the full system Technical Leadership: Set technical direction for external design partners, including transducer, beamforming, and system requirements; review implementations, independently evaluate delivered image quality, and drive partner work to program objectives.

Define the technical architecture and multi-year imaging roadmap for the business unit. Inform product development strategies for ultrasound development programs. Manage the development and implementation of new ultrasound imaging capabilities, including identifying risks and contingency plans and defining integration strategy.

Medical Device Development

• Collaborate with clinical to translate customer imaging needs into product design solutions
• Establish objective image quality methodology — such as contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio, resolution, penetration, SNR, frame rate, and Doppler sensitivity — using phantoms, tissue models, and clinical data, and convert it into acceptance criteria
• Own imaging-related design control deliverables and support regulatory strategy, including requirements, risk and hazard analysis, verification, and alignment with applicable IEC 60601-2-37 and FDA guidance.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

12+ years industry experience with a focus on ultrasound imaging, acoustics, or signal/image processing. Advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for a portion of the required experience. Expertise in ultrasound physics and beamforming fundamentals including a working knowledge of the full ultrasound signal chain, from transmit sequencing and beamforming through demodulation, detection, scan conversion, and display.

Strong experience with transducer characterization (impedance, acoustic tank, pulse-echo, force balance, transmitting voltage response) and testing (hydrophone testing, phantom studies) Demonstrated ability to set technical direction for and manage the deliverables of external OEM and internal engineering teams. Ability to work with minimal day-to-day direction, structuring your own work across commercial support, feature development and future technology exploration, surfacing decisions and risks early.

Knowledge of design for manufacturing, from feasibility through transfer to production Knowledge in Solidworks and Finite Element Analysis.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Familiarity with acoustic standards (IEC 60601-2-62, IEC 60601-2-37, 21CFR1050.10, MIL-STD-1376) Required Education and Training
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Acoustics Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.

Advanced degree preferred.

Preferred Skills and Experience

Experience in medical device development, including design controls, V&V, and regulatory documentation Medical device product development experience under design controls (ISO 13485, 21 CFR 820), including driving features through verification and validation in support of regulatory submissions. Experience with therapeutic ultrasound systems (histotripsy, HIFU, or lithotripsy) and with imaging in the presence of acoustic cavitation.

Development of Endoluminal imaging applications. Knowledge and practice of different bonding technologies a plus