Senior Human Factors Research Engineer

The Human Factors Research Engineer (HFRE) is part of the Human Factors (HF) organization that aims to maximize usability and desirability of Intuitive products while minimizing risk through scientific research and usability engineering. HFRE is focused on end-to-end experimental and real-world behavioral research aligned with business demands that (a) de-risk product design strategies for future development, (b) translate evidence to define user requirements, (c) establish product claims. This role works closely with executive leadership, product managers, mechanical engineers, computer scientists, clinical engineers, clinical scientists, health economists, and data scientists.

HFRE conducts research that is focused on the psychology, biomechanics, and physiology of end users’ underlying performance associated with robotic teleoperations. Evidence generated from these studies provide strategic insight into “what”, “why”, and “how much” end users differ in learning and performance across a range of products. This role functions in ambiguous and strategic stages of product development that involve the ability to position and conduct experimental research within a business.

This role demands extensive follow-through to translate, communicate, ideate, prototype, and build novel evidence-based strategies, tools, and concepts that operationalize and inform the “intuitiveness” of commercialized and future products. This role demands quick changes in direction with capacity to define and implement strategies that have visibility across business units while maintaining focus on tactical details. This role is a unique engineering and scientific opportunity with the expectation that knowledge and skills can be applied to experimental behavioral research that actionably informs product design strategies for future development, inform product development, and establish product claims with state-of-the-art human-robot interfaces.

Essential Job Duties

Experimental research design, execution, and enablement

• Propose and position research plans across a range of products and a myriad of internal and/or external stakeholders

• Conduct literature reviews that justify research strategy and study design

• Design studies, author protocols, train support staff on products and protocols

• Manage ethics reviews

• Guide sampling, legal, logistical, and operational tactics with study preparation

• Conduct experiments end-to-end ranging in scale and complexity

• Manage customer relationships associated with human subjects

• Lead data processing and analysis

• Lead authorship and submissions of abstracts, white papers, manuscripts

• Translate and convert scientific evidence to a range of internal and external stakeholders into actional recommendations for product design strategies, product requirements, or product claims

• Identify behavioral markers associated with individual differences underlying customer learning and performance

• Characterize inferential and predictive relationship between individual differences and standard and new product metrics

• Develop and maintain relationships with behavioral scientists as prospective partners to Intuitive either in direct collaboration on sponsored research or indirect collaboration on independently funded research with surgical scientists

Instrumentation and test box development

• Align business goals, experimental research objectives, and development of experimental requirements and instrumentation

• Define experimental requirements based on evidence from psychological, biomechanical, and physiological research

• Build and validate experimental conditions within virtual and physical environments

• Develop and validate novel and OTS bioinstrumentation and psychometrics that can be implemented in experiments to reliably measure individual differences related to human performance

Data science

• Data extraction, transformation, processes, analysis and visualization with multiple data sources from biometrics, psychometrics, and system data logs from lab-based experiments and field-based experiments

• Prototype and iterate on designs, develop tests, and deliver high-quality software in Python or C++ required for ML performance modeling

• Develop Snowflake pipeline, Databricks pipeline

• Experience in testing BI systems and data analysis processes, including ETL processes

• Data testing such as pre-screening raw data, vital check on completeness, integrity of data, field tests on Aggregation, Reconciliation tests, Report and App testing associated with data collection from lab-based experiments

• Execute end-to-end testing of ETL processes, including data extraction, transformation, loading, and reporting, to ensure accuracy, completeness, and data integrity from lab-based and field-based experiments

• Create and analyze requirements and deliver required project documents test strategy, testing scope and test cases

• Manage data management governance associated with data sharing internally and externally

• Manage updates on systems configurations for reliable data capture pipeline from lab-based and field-based experiments

• Development and maintenance of data infrastructure required to synchronize, capture, process and analyze multiple data sources from research and evaluations to inform product design strategies, product development, and product claims

• Build and validate experimental conditions within virtual and physical environments

• Develop and validate novel and OTS bioinstrumentation and psychometrics that can be implemented in experiments to reliably measure individual differences related to human performance

Base Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years relevant research and engineering experience in product development industry.

• Minimum 6 years leading human subjects research.

• Ability to process and analyze large quantitative datasets from human subjects and robotic systems.

• Ability to analyze large volumes of data from mixed methods research into usable communications.

• Ability to develop experimental conditions and stimuli in virtual and physical environments.

• Ability to translate findings from studies into product requirements for complex, software-controlled electro-mechanical medical device.

• Experience with authoring and reviewing scientific manuscripts.

• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills.

• Ability to work with and across various groups and levels of management within the organization, including other engineering groups, commercial, clinical engineering, and regulatory. Excellent collaboration skills.

• Ability to apply user-centered design and human factors engineering principles to product research, development, and design.

Required Education and Training

• Minimum MS in Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Psychology, Biomechanics with emphasis on Human-Computer Interaction, Robotics, or a related field.

Work Conditions

• Ability to travel internationally as well as domestically (up to 25% quarterly).

• Primarily office-based set schedule working model

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience in research on Neuromotor/ Sensorimotor Control and Learning

• Experience in research on Neuroscience, a plus

• Experience in Computational Psychology or Data Science, a plus.

• Experience in Differential Psychology, a plus.

• Experience with bioinstrumentation, a plus.

• Experience in medical device, or similar regulated industry, a plus.

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.

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.