Senior Clinical Data Scientist

Company Description

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.

Job Description

Primary Function of Position

The Senior Clinical Data Scientist will be part of the Ion business unit.  The Ion endoluminal system is Intuitive's robotic platform for minimally invasive biopsy in the peripheral lung, with an initial goal of improving the early diagnosis of lung cancer. The Senior Clinical Data Scientist sits at the intersection of clinical science and data science within the Ion business unit, translating clinical questions into rigorous, data-driven analyses that inform product strategy, evidence generation, and business decisions. This role reports to the Managing Staff, Clinical Data Science.

The individual in this role will partner with clinicians, cross-functional teams, and data engineering to design and execute a clinical data science strategy — defining hypotheses grounded in customer needs, identifying appropriate data sources, conducting quantitative analyses, and communicating results that demonstrably impact patient outcomes and business objectives. Unlike a purely clinical or purely technical role, this position demands both deep clinical understanding of the Ion platform and hands-on proficiency in modern data science methods and tools.

Success requires a strong technical foundation in Python or R, statistics, and causal reasoning; the ability to navigate ambiguity in a fast-evolving clinical and commercial landscape; and exceptional skill in communicating complex findings clearly — especially through polished visual presentations and well-organized documentation.

Essential Job Duties

• Work with internal and external stakeholders (including clinicians, administrators, and policymakers) to identify data-centric needs in the clinical space and translate them into prioritized research questions with testable hypotheses.
• Design, implement, and validate quantitative analyses in Python or R — applying appropriate statistical, machine learning, and causal inference methods to Ion device logs, clinical studies/registries, insurance claims databases, and EHR/EMR data — to test hypotheses.
• Translate analyses into decision-useful stories, tailoring them to diverse groups of stakeholders — from technical peers building product, to senior leadership defining strategy, to external physicians looking to improve efficiency.
• Demonstrate impact through internal/external reports, presentations, dashboards, peer-reviewed publications, and customer-facing deliverables.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to assist with the design and execution of global clinical and economic evidence strategies, including designing and supporting clinical trials.
• Support regulatory submissions by structuring and validating clinical datasets to meet FDA and EU MDR compliance standards.
• Create and maintain well-organized, reproducible codebases with clear documentation, version control, and consistent coding standards.
• Catalyze a data-driven culture internally — champion the use of data to generate compelling evidence and ultimately build a better product.

 

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• 6+ years of experience with Master's degree or 4+ years with PhD in a quantitative, scientific, or engineering field (e.g., biostatistics, epidemiology, data science, computer science, biomedical engineering, public health, or a related discipline). MD with quantitative research experience also accepted.
• Experience with Python or R for data analysis, statistical modeling, and visualization.
• Working knowledge of SQL for querying and managing structured datasets.
• Demonstrated experience with causal inference methods and study design.
• Experience working with device-generated log data, clinical study/registry data, and claims/EHR-style databases.
• Experience with causal inference in a healthcare or medical device context.
• Experience using platforms such as Snowflake or Databricks for production-level data pipelines and analytics.
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau) for the presentation of complex data to non-technical stakeholders or regulatory bodies.
• Experience with Electronic Data Capture (EDC) systems (e.g., Medrio) for managing clinical study/registry data.
• Experience using AI/ML tools to accelerate software development and data analysis workflows.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to frame ambiguous clinical questions as testable hypotheses and select fit-for-purpose methods.
• Stellar organizational skills, particularly with respect to code management and documentation.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including clinicians, engineers, regulatory, commercial, and data science partners.
• Self-starter attitude with the ability to manage multiple priorities, operate independently, and deliver under ambiguity.
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations in clinical research or data science.
• Experience in medical devices or other regulated industries.
• Familiarity with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), ISO 14155 (clinical investigation of medical devices), and data privacy regulations (HIPAA/GDPR).
• Familiarity with the lung cancer landscape (screening, diagnosis, treatment).

Additional Information

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.