Senior Project Manager, Multiport (New Product Development)

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 Senior Project Manager, Multiport leads and organizes a diverse set of activities of the Program Management Office (PMO) group within the New Product Development organization. The PMO group is responsible for leading cross functional teams in new product development and continuation engineering initiatives, and consists of project managers, program managers and project coordinators.

The Senior Project Manager, Multiport orchestrates the activities of their project teams to deliver compelling final product designs within demanding product release schedules. This role will have a focus on complex surgical robotic instrumentation (e.g. stapling, vessel sealing devices), including bringing new innovative technology and design improvements to global markets. The Senior Project Manager, Multiport must be highly organized and detail-oriented, and interact fluidly and effectively with numerous individuals and departments. The Senior Project Manager, PMO will have a close working relationship with the Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, Clinical, Human Factors, Technical Publications, Training, Service, Finance, and Marketing departments, as well as other program and project managers.

Essential Job Duties

Project Leadership & Execution

• Lead and drive a portfolio of complex, cross-functional product development projects from conception to manufacturing stability, with an initial focus on disposable surgical robotic instrumentation
• Ensure Design Control processes are followed per relevant procedures
• Ensure that complex, high-value Business Unit projects are properly scoped, resourced, and communicated to minimize risk, deliver on-time and on-budget
  • Function as the primary point-of-contact for key leaders and stakeholders across the organization
  • Organize and manage team meetings, design review meetings, and phase gate review meetings
  • Create and maintain project schedules
  • Develop and monitor project budgets
  • Support resource demand planning for project teams, including estimating project work efforts, needs, roles, and responsibilities
  • Lead large, distributed cross-functional teams to execute effectively
  • Plan and track the creation of design history documents for projects by the project teams
• Facilitate best practices sharing and feedback to the PMO organization and seek areas of process improvements

Strategy & Prioritization

• Support in defining and aligning project goals with business unit and corporate objectives; organize and prioritize the work of teams to accomplish those objectives
• Work closely with Product Development Franchise leaders to develop plans to meet strategic objectives
• Contribute to product prioritization decisions by providing data and analysis from current and past projects

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Support team members including functional managers across the business to plan and execute the activities required to achieve project goals
• Work closely with Design, Manufacturing, Marketing, Regulatory, and Quality organizations to ensure input and representation in the development process
• Work with Operations and Manufacturing management to determine strategies for product cut-ins and roll-ins
• Coordinate effectively with other project managers who are driving overall product development programs to understand project goals, scope, timelines, and help functional managers negotiate resources and schedules

Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Communicate project priorities, key project deliverables, milestones and project risk broadly and effectively— including within the PMO team, to all cross-functional team members, to business unit management, and to shared services management
• Build strong formal and informal communication channels to keep all stakeholders informed of accurate and timely information
• Provide feedback to team members regarding performance and requirements

Required Skills and Experience 

• Highly passionate about delivering improved surgical solutions to patients, with a proven ability to coordinate and drive cross-functional teams
• Strong project/program management, planning, decision making, negotiating, communication, and change management skills
• Experience and skills developing medical device products through Design Controls with a high level of complexity, including consumables with demonstrated success at product launches as a result of completing product development cycles
• Proven ability to lead, influence and work well at all levels of an organization and in a cross functional team environment
• Experience with leading people within a project team that includes many engineering disciplines, including clinical, mechanical, electrical, and software
• Exceptional aptitude for cultivating collaboration across department boundaries and influence cross-functional teams without formal authority to ensure project success
• Proven success recognizing critical issues with the ability to react quickly under pressure, and drive issues to closure by providing coordinated direction
• High attention to detail and proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities simultaneously; must work well under pressure, be flexible, and meet deadlines
• Excellent communication (written, verbal), presentation and documentation skills and high emotional intelligence
• Results-driven self-starter with high energy, initiative, accountability and a collaborative team-first attitude
• Self-directed and resourceful with a strong work ethic; able to navigate conflict and drive issues to resolution
• Comfortable with ambiguity; able to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to lead a large number of people on a variety of programs 
• Committed to continuously improving product development and program management processes

Required Education and Training 

• BS degree (or equivalent experience) in a scientific / engineering field plus 8 years experience leading teams in the development and commercialization of medical device products. Or similarly, MS degree plus 6 years experience. Advanced degree is a plus.

Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Work with all phases of the product development lifecycle including idea generation, concept development and testing, design, implementation, validation, and transfer
• Working knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, product strategy and business management
• Experience in studying tradeoffs between product desirability, feasibility, and viability
• Demonstrates ability to synthesize data, set actionable goals and drive metrics and execution
• Experience with high-volume manufacturing is desired, as well as knowledge of automated production lines, injection molding
• Certification in project management (PMP)

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.

Accommodation & Accessibility Notice:

Intuitive is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance or an accommodation during any part of the application or interview process, please contact People Services at [email protected].

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.