Intuitive Surgical
Optical Engineer
Intuitive Surgical is hiring an Optical Engineer in Roanoke, VA, United States. Posted October 8, 2026.
Job at a glance
- Company
- Intuitive Surgical
- Location
- Roanoke, VA, United States
- Workplace
- On-site
- Sector
- Engineering & Technology
- Posted
- October 8, 2026
- First scanned
- October 8, 2026
About the job
Job Description
Primary Function of Position: We are seeking a highly skilled and innovative Optical Engineer to lead the design, development, and testing of advanced optical systems tailored for next-generation Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) medical applications. In this role, you will work at the intersection of optics, biomedical engineering, and artificial intelligence, helping to turn complex optical data into actionable diagnostic and therapeutic insights. You will join a fast-paced, collaborative, multi-disciplinary team of hardware engineers, software developers, data scientists, and medical professionals.
Roles & Responsibilities:
- Testing & Integration: Conduct rigorous laboratory testing, alignment, calibration, and characterization of custom optical systems to ensure optical performance meets strict AI data quality requirements.
- AI/ML Pipeline Collaboration: Work closely with data science and machine learning teams to design optical hardware optimized for AI feature extraction, data acquisition, and automated diagnostic workflows.
- Design & System Development: End-to-end design, modeling, and prototyping of optical systems (including lenses, illumination setups, detectors, and fiber optic delivery systems) targeted for medical imaging and sensing.
- Multi-Disciplinary Teamwork: Collaborate with biomedical engineers, mechanical designers, firmware engineers, and clinical experts to integrate optical sub-systems into complete medical devices.
- Documentation & Compliance: Maintain thorough design documentation, optical schematics, test protocols, and design histories in compliance with medical device regulatory standards (e.g., ISO 13485, FDA guidance).