Sr Director AI Product & Strategy

We are seeking a Senior Director, AI Product & Strategy to define and drive the company’s enterprise AI agenda. This leader will operate at the intersection of business strategy, product management, and applied AI, translating a rapidly evolving technology landscape into clear, actionable business outcomes.
This is a highly visible, externally aware role that partners closely with enterprise business leaders and business-facing teams to identify, shape, and prioritize AI-driven opportunities. A core responsibility of this role is to bridge the gap between business intent and technical execution—ensuring that AI initiatives are well-defined, feasible, and positioned to deliver measurable impact.
In addition, this role will play a key part in building AI product management capabilities in the organization, elevating how business needs are translated into scalable AI solutions.
Key Responsibilities
1. Enterprise AI Strategy & External Point of View
• Partner with the VP, Data, Analytics & Enterprise AI to define and evolve the enterprise AI strategy aligned with company priorities

• Develop a forward-looking point of view on AI, including generative AI, agentic systems, automation, and advanced analytics
• Stay current on rapidly emerging technologies, tools, and market trends, and translate them into clear strategic direction for the company
• Provide thought leadership to executive stakeholders, synthesizing complex developments into actionable insights
2. Business Engagement & Use Case Identification
• Serve as a strategic partner to enterprise business leaders across Enterprise Business Functions.
• Lead structured conversations to:
o Identify manual, inefficient, and high-friction workflows
o Reimagine them using AI, automation, and advanced analytics
• Collaborate with business-facing teams in Data & Analytics and Business
Applications to:
o Articulate the art of the possible
o Bring credibility to conversations, having had the experience building and deploying Ai solutions to production.
o Identify and define high-impact AI use cases
• Build and maintain a pipeline of prioritized AI opportunities aligned to measurable business value
3. AI Product Translation & Requirements Definition
• Lead the translation of business-level problem statements into clear AI product and solution definitions
• Work closely with business-facing teams to:

o Convert use cases into structured requirements, user journeys, and success metrics
o Define data needs, model expectations, and operational workflows
• Partner with AI Engineering and Data Science teams to ensure:
o Requirements are feasible, well-scoped, and aligned with technical realities
o Solutions are designed for scalability, maintainability, and enterprise integration
• Act as the bridge between business stakeholders / business facing portfolio teams and technical teams, ensuring clarity, alignment, and shared ownership
4. AI Product Strategy & Portfolio Development
• Define and guide the enterprise AI product and use case portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities
• Establish frameworks for use case prioritization, balancing business impact, feasibility, and scalability
• Drive clarity on:
o What should be built
o Why it matters
o How success will be measured
• Ensure AI initiatives are delivered as products (not one-off projects) with clear ownership, lifecycle management, and value tracking
5. Executive Communication & Influence
• Communicate AI strategy, priorities, and progress to senior leadership and the executive committee with clarity and conviction

• Build alignment by articulating:
o Business value and ROI
o Trade-offs, risks, and dependencies
• Distinguish between high-impact opportunities and low-value or overhyped initiatives
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on AI investments and direction
6. Technical Credibility & Solution Shaping
• Bring depth in AI/ML to:
o Evaluate solution approaches and architectures
o Challenge assumptions and guide teams toward practical, high-impact implementations
• Ensure alignment with enterprise data strategy, architecture, and governance
• Help define guardrails for responsible, ethical, and secure use of AI
7. AI Product Capability Building
• Build and develop AI product management capabilities within business-facing teams.
• Establish best practices for:
o Translating business needs into AI requirements
o Structuring use cases and defining success metrics
o Managing AI initiatives as products
• Coach and mentor teams to improve their ability to:
o Engage effectively with Data Science and Engineering
o Drive clarity and discipline in AI solution definition

Experience
• 12+ years of experience in product management, strategy, or enterprise technology leadership, with a strong focus on data and AI
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, Law, Data Management, or equivalent). Advanced degree preferred
• Hands-on experience with building and deploying AI products to production.
• Proven experience working with enterprise business functions to drive transformation through technology
• Demonstrated success in translating business problems into scalable AI product/ technology solutions
• Experience influencing executive stakeholders and shaping enterprise strategy
AI / Technical Acumen
• Strong understanding of:
o Machine learning and advanced analytics
o Generative AI (LLMs, copilots, agent-based systems)
o Enterprise data platforms and AI architectures
• Ability to:
o Translate business needs into clear AI solution requirements
o Distinguish between feasible, scalable solutions and experimental or low- impact ideas
• Comfortable engaging deeply with Data Science and Engineering teams without being hands-on

Leadership & Communication
• Exceptional ability to translate complex AI concepts into clear, business-relevant language
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence and align senior stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to operate in ambiguous, fast-moving environments and drive clarity
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and build consensus across diverse teams

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.