Production Control Manager

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:

Manage the planning process to reduce costs, streamline processes, and implement continuous improvement objectives. This position is responsible for maximizing customer service levels while optimizing FG inventory investment and manufacturing resources to promote productivity. The Planning Manager works with the Sr Production Control Manager and the production departments, to achieve the highest levels of service, actively contributing to critical business decisions related to staffing, demand load strategies, inventory control and finished goods levels and productivity goals.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Responsible for staff management and development including; assigning and directing work, appraising performance (performance management), hiring, training, integrating and retention.
• Oversee department objectives related to implementation of Engineering Change Orders, (ECO).
• Manages and ensures smooth transition from development to production. Ensures that new products and processes are properly developed for production readiness.
• Develop and manage the planning team to be focused on department goals and corporate goals. Displaying capability and urgency in addressing expedited requirements and reprioritization, demonstrating ownership and accountability at the individual staff member.
• Individual must be able to drive closure on difficult projects with limited support, influence others to make effective decisions, and have the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Develop and maintain countermeasures to address root causes for products on backorder.
• Develop and maintain department metrics, analyze results and identify trends. Drive team to appropriate corrective actions, when needed.
• Engage Manufacturing teams in the continuous improvement process to ensure projects are identified, prioritized and implemented in a timely and effective manner.
• Coach and counsel lean manufacturing behaviors.
• Determine and manage potential line shortages by analyzing build schedules, shortage reports, on hand inventory reports and supplier delivery information
• Develop communication relationship with Production, Engineering, Purchasing, Shipping, and Customer Service to manage supply and demand.
• Promotes culture, EHS and safety.
• Procures individual development of his/her team.
• Drive our Culture Strategy by fostering our mission, founding principles, individual and leadership expectations.

Skills, Experience, Education, & Training:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a manufacturing environment
• Bachelors Degree
• Independently manage challenging projects or assignments with little to no direction
• Knowledge of GMP's and previous work experience in a medical manufacturing environment is a plus
• Excellent communication skills, attention to detail
• Computer literate and working knowledge of SAP are a plus
• Exposure to low volume, high complexity capital equipment or high volume, low complexity products
• Ability to communicate effectively in a multicultural, multinational environment and mobilize cross-functional high performance teams
• Delegates tasks, responsibilities and authority effectively
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including people development/coaching, objective setting and evaluation

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.

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.