Staff Clinical Development Engineer - Incubator

Job description

Primary Function of the Position The Staff Clinical Development Engineer - Incubator is a key member of Intuitive’s innovation incubator, reporting to the project engineering lead. In this role, you will lead the clinical development workstream for a defined opportunity, owning the design and execution of clinical de-risking activities and helping advance the program from early concept toward validated solution. Working closely with physicians and cross-functional partners, you will translate clinical and technical insights into structured development plans, drive execution of clinical and preclinical evaluations, and ensure that key risks are identified and resolved.

This role operates with a high degree of independence and accountability, with responsibility for delivering the clinical evidence and workflows needed to support program advancement and investment decisions.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead the clinical development workstream for a defined opportunity, owning clinical de-risking strategy and execution
• Design and execute preclinical and early clinical evaluations to assess feasibility, usability, and performance
• Develop and refine procedural workflows, use cases, and clinical approaches for the target application
• Identify key technical and clinical risks and drive structured plans to resolve them
• Collaborate with engineering to define and iterate on product requirements, design inputs, and performance targets
• Lead clinical labs and external evaluations, ensuring rigorous execution and high-quality data generation
• Translate findings into clear development direction and actionable recommendations
• Partner with physicians to refine clinical strategy and ensure alignment between clinical intent and technical execution
• Contribute to program advancement decisions by synthesizing evidence across clinical, technical, and user dimensions
• Engage with key opinion leaders and external stakeholders to support validation and adoption readiness

Qualifications

Experience and Qualifications

Typically

• 10+ years of experience in medical device development, translational R&D, or clinical engineering roles
• Demonstrated experience in product development or clinical evaluation environments, including designing and executing experiments and translating results into development direction
• Proven experience designing and executing clinical or preclinical evaluations and translating results into development direction Experience working closely with clinicians and understanding clinical workflows and procedural environments
• Ability to identify risks and drive structured problem-solving to resolution
• Strong analytical and systems-thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize findings into clear recommendations and next steps Experience collaborating across engineering, clinical, and business teams to drive program milestones and outcomes Experience with clinical labs, cadaveric or animal models, and early-stage evaluations
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to clearly convey complex ideas across clinical and technical audiences Exposure to Biodesign or needs-based innovation methodologies preferred

Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field required Advanced degree (M.S., Ph.D., or equivalent) preferred