Director NPI Service Manufacturing Operations

Primary Function of Position:

The Director of NPI Service Manufacturing Operations is responsible for establishing, scaling, and leading the end-to-end Service Manufacturing and MRO(Maintenance Repair & Overhaul) readiness operations that enable successful introduction, validation, and global transfer of new Field Replaceable Units (FRUs), failure analysis, repair processes, and service capabilities. This leader ensures that all new service products—across all Business Unites —Endoluminal, Multiport, Single Port, and emerging platforms—are fully operationalized and ready for deployment into the global service repair network.

Reporting to the Director NPI Manufacturing, this role oversees service build readiness, repair process development, technician capability, capacity planning, production execution, and quality compliance at the NPI site. The Director partners cross-functionally with R&D, Process Engineering, Product Operations, Demand/Supply Planning, Global MRO, Quality Engineering, Supply Chain, Training, Finance, and Field Service to ensure service manufacturing solutions meet cost, throughput, turnaround time, and reliability requirements prior to global ramp.

The ideal candidate is a decisive, systems-level operations leader who excels in complex cross-functional environments, can influence without authority, and demonstrates consistent execution, organizational maturity, and alignment with Intuitive’s leadership expectations.

Essential Job Duties:

1. NPI Service Manufacturing & MRO Readiness Leadership

Lead all NPI service manufacturing activities, ensuring repair readiness, process validation, and operational maturity for new FRUs and service products.

Own the transition from engineering builds to stable, repeatable repair processes capable of meeting volume, quality, and turnaround time requirements.

Define repair strategy, workflows, staffing plans, and the operational architecture required to support global repair deployment.

2. Cross-Functional Program Leadership

Serve as the primary service operations voice in cross-functional product teams for new platforms and FRUs.

Drive alignment with Engineering, R&D, Quality, and Supply Chain on repairability requirements, design-for-serviceability inputs, BOM accuracy, routings, tooling, and technician instructions.

Ensure readiness gates are met with high quality and predictable outcomes.

3. Workforce Development & Training Readiness

Develop organizational capability through hiring, coaching, and performance management of managers, supervisors, IE resources, training specialists, planners, and technicians.

Partner with Training to define certification plans, training capacity, and skill-mix requirements for new product support.

Build a culture of technical excellence, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.

4. Production Execution & Operational Performance

Oversee daily service manufacturing operations for NPI products, ensuring output meets build plans, quality standards, and cost targets.

Implement core operations systems including SIOP (Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning), capacity modeling, labor planning, takt modeling, earned hours vs. paid hours, and throughput optimization.

Ensure robust material availability, reverse logistics coordination, and service BOM accuracy.

5. Quality, Regulatory, and Compliance Ownership

Maintain compliance with regulatory standards, QMS requirements, documentation control, and service-related manufacturing processes.

Partner with Quality Engineering to ensure test methods, FA processes, and service metrics such as Gross Efficiency, First Pass Yield, and RMA aging meet expectations.

Drive CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) effectiveness and ensure rapid containment of issues identified during early builds.

6. Global Transfer & Scaling

Lead the transfer of mature repair processes from the NPI site to global MRO locations (e.g., Sunnyvale, Peachtree Corners, Mexicali, Freiburg, APAC sites).

Ensure receiving sites have validated processes, adequate technician capability, stable yield performance, and capacity plans that meet expected service demand.

Partner with Global Service Manufacturing leadership to establish standard work, harmonized performance metrics, and a consistent global repair network structure

Skills, Experience, Education, and Training

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Industrial Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Production Operations Management, or a related technical field; or a minimum of 10+ years of progressively responsible operations or service manufacturing experience in lieu of a degree.

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant operations or service manufacturing experience, including 5–8 years in supervisory or management roles.

• Experience in the medical device industry or other regulated manufacturing environments strongly preferred.

Technical Competencies

• Advanced working knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles, Design for Manufacturability (DFM), and quality systems and methodologies.

• Demonstrated expertise in operational problem-solving, process optimization, and data-driven decision making.

• Strong capability in developing and interpreting work instructions, process documentation, KPIs, and operational dashboards.

Leadership & Communication

• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to convey complex information clearly in both written and verbal formats.

• Proven ability to lead teams in fast-paced, high-variation environments while maintaining operational stability and alignment across stakeholders.

• Demonstrated capability to build strong teams, drive accountability, and create a culture of continuous improvement.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading operations or MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) organizations at scale across multiple global sites.

• Hands-on experience with SAP S/4HANA, MES systems, Agile PLM, and digital manufacturing tools.

• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt) preferred.

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.

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.