Job Description

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.

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.

Primary Function of Position:

The Clinical Affairs function at Intuitive is a multidisciplinary department that plays a pivotal role in advancing the company’s scientific and business objectives through the generation and assessment of clinical evidence. The team is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive pre- and post-launch evidence generation strategies to support product and platform approvals, market adoption, and reimbursement across Intuitive’s global portfolio.

These evidence strategies are operationalized through a diverse range of initiatives, including pre- and post-market clinical trials and observational research studies, global clinical value dossier submissions, and research grant enablement. By integrating core scientific expertise with strategic insights, the Clinical Affairs team ensures that Intuitive’s technologies are supported by robust clinical evidence and positioned for success in healthcare markets worldwide.

As a corporate leader, the Clinical Affairs VP is directly involved in shaping enterprise-wide evidence strategy with the different business units and regions across Intuitive’s portfolio. In addition, the VP is responsible for overseeing clinical study operations and planning resources across global regions for research involving all Intuitive products and platforms.

This leader will help support regulatory submissions and the generation of high-impact clinical evidence through publications, presentations, abstracts, and scientific collaborations that enable market access, adoption, and reimbursement worldwide. This individual will also oversee strategic engagements with key opinion leaders (KOLs), medical societies, advisory boards, and government agencies to advance regulatory and evidence objectives. Additionally, the position is accountable for establishing and maintaining effective programs, policies, and processes that drive operational excellence within Global Clinical Affairs, fostering continuous improvement and delivering measurable value across multiple functions and teams.

The VP of Clinical Affairs is an in-person role (set schedule) based at Intuitive global headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, and reports to the Senior Medical Officer.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Lead and drive long-range strategy development for various functions within Clinical Affairs and operationalizing multidisciplinary plans to enable seamless global execution.
• Shape the company’s clinical and scientific strategy by driving the design and implementation of pre-market, post-market, and real-world evidence (RWE) studies, as well as domestic and international publication plans that support value propositions and business goals.
• Establish global shared service standards and operating models across Clinical Affairs subfunctions, including data management, clinical trial management systems, biostatistics, medical and library sciences.
• Develop and execute innovative global clinical evidence generation pathways that align with business unit and regional needs while meeting all regulatory requirements.
• Translate corporate and scientific strategies into clear, actionable evidence roadmaps that effectively engage and align cross-functional stakeholders.
• Foster a culture of leadership and excellence, developing multiple high-performing leaders and modeling exemplary leadership across all organizational levels.
• Drive effective communication and alignment across senior internal and external stakeholders, managing complex communications and guiding teams through change and strategic challenges.
• Stay ahead of evolving clinical literature and global public affairs trends, ensuring timely and informed evidence strategies and publication efforts.
• Build organizational capability by developing standards, competencies, and processes that significantly enhance Clinical Affairs performance and influence company-wide business results.
• Lead and mobilize large, cross-functional teams to deliver strategic outcomes with agility and precision.
• Balance short- and long-term priorities to ensure consistent achievement of functional goals while preparing the organization for future needs.
• Facilitate collaboration and decision-making, driving alignment, managing risk, and leading teams through complex problem-solving and change initiatives.
• Create clarity and alignment across teams through transparent direction, feedback, and communication.

Qualifications

Skills, Experience, Education, & Training:

• Advanced degree in a scientific field (e.g., MS, MD, MPH or PhD) is required and MBA preferred.

• Overall 20+ of clinical affairs experience with supervisory experience managing clinical affairs functional team at a medical device company, minimum 10-12 years.

• Core competencies of this position include expert knowledge and understanding of all clinical specialties and technology platforms that Intuitive serves; significant experience and proven success leading multiple teams in the medical device or related industry; significant experience leading clinical affairs strategies and objectives; ability to create departmental vision, strategy and strategic objectives and guide teams in their execution; establish effective programs, guidelines and procedures for global clinical affairs activities. Independently develop budget and other resource plans for larger teams and/or projects; direct the work of multiple functions, demonstrate effectiveness in empowering others to do their best work

• Patient-centric and results-oriented approach, working with tenacity to advance projects and deliver pre-determined milestones.

• Ability to work with humility in a collaborative culture where the best ideas win regardless of their origin.

• Persuasive, agile, inclusive, and resilient with a strong sense of urgency and entrepreneurial attitude.

• Must be clinically savvy.

• Excellent verbal/written communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills are necessary to work with multiple constituents.

• Willingness and availability to travel, at least 15%

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.

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 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.

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.

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.