Software Test Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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. 

Were 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. 

The Future Forward organization is Intuitive's advanced concepts group. We explore emerging technologies, prototype next-generation solutions, and build software experiences that shape the future of robotic-assisted surgery. 

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:

As a Software Test Engineer within the Future Forward engineering team, you will be responsible for all the aspects relating to software testing. You will partner with the development team and with the clinical team to develop procedures leading up to the full verification of the system software for a novel surgical robot architecture.

The primary function of this position is to own all aspects of system verification for robotic surgical systems, including ownership of the top-level test strategy, design, development, and execution of test protocols, test report generation, and defect management.

The successful candidate must excel in a focused, high-energy small-team environment. The position will require close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including but not limited to product development teams, clinical team, systems analysts, design team, quality, and regulatory teams.

Quick learning and a desire to understand requirements from a user's and engineering's perspective are essential to become a valuable system developer. A strong sense of shared responsibility and shared reward is required.

Your responsibilities will encompass all aspects related to the system software verification, ranging from a clear understanding of the system architecture design and risk analysis to ownership of requirements discussions and change impact analysis. You will understand the system from both a technical perspective and the user's viewpoint, and drive definition and development of robust test strategy, as well as recommend design improvements.

Essential Job Duties

This position has responsibility for all aspects related to the software verification of robotic surgical systems and instruments. Specifically, the Software Test Engineer is responsible for:

• Designing, developing, and executing test scripts and protocols for functional software verification for complex robotic surgical systems.
• Generating test reports and complete requirement tracing for all requirements under test.
• Logging and managing issues found within the issue tracking system; working with software and cross-functional teams to identify the root cause and assess the impact of each issue.
• Contributing to requirements discussions and providing inputs from system test engineering perspective.
• Participating in design change reviews and provide feedback on test impact and regression analysis.
• Analyzing test data, identify non-conformance trends, generate concise executive summaries, and recommend design improvements.
• Execution of the verification protocols of robotic surgical systems and instruments.

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor's degree or above in Computer Science, Software Engineer, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or adjacent technical field.
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in testing complex electro-mechanical or robotic systems (6 years for Master's degree holders).

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong skills in defining test methods based on a deep understanding of requirements, specifications and system software architecture.
• Strong experience in the planning and execution of Verification and Validation (V&V) activities for medical devices, under quality and regulatory compliance.
• Strong foundation in system engineering, Software Quality Assurance (SQA), software design principles.
• First-principles thinking and in-depth knowledge of failure mode and risk analysis processes.
• Strong problem-solving skills and debugging of complex embedded software and electromechanical systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with Python, Matlab, JavaScript, or other scripting language.
• Experience with Unit Test frameworks.
• Experience with Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) testing.

Working Conditions

• none

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 employeeswho 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'sstart 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.