Staff Software Build Engineer

Primary Function of Position

The Software Build team at Intuitive is seeking a hands-on Staff Software Engineer to design build and operate the next-generation unified build system across all robotic surgery platforms.

This role is for an experienced engineer who writes code debugs real build failures prototypes infrastructure and scales systems through direct technical contribution. You will own core build architecture while remaining deeply involved in implementationdriving measurable improvements in build speed correctness and developer productivity across large safety-critical C/C codebases.

You will serve as a technical leader and mentor but this is not an oversight-only role. Expect to spend significant time designing build rules implementing tooling debugging distributed builds and evolving CI infrastructure in production.

Responsibilities

• Design implement and maintain Bazel-based build systems for large-scale C/C embedded software including custom toolchains and cross-compilation flows.
• Directly implement and optimize Bazel Remote Caching and Remote Execution (RBE) to enable fast deterministic builds across local CI and cloud environments.
• Write production code in Rust C/C and Python to support build tooling infrastructure services and developer workflows.
• Own and evolve build performance: cache hit rates execution parallelism dependency hygiene hermeticity and reproducibility.
• Build and maintain developer-facing tooling that improves local iteration speed and CI reliability.
• Integrate and operate build infrastructure across on-premises and cloud environments balancing performance security and cost.
• Work directly with firmware platform and application teams to debug real-world build issues and eliminate systemic bottlenecks.
• Improve observability of build systems through metrics logging and analytics.
• Mentor engineers through code reviews architectural discussions and hands-on problem solving.
• Act as a technical advocate for modern build practices and scalable development workflows.

Qualifications :

Required Skills & Experience

• 10 years of professional software engineering experience with a strong record of hands-on technical ownership.
• Deep practical expertise with Bazel in complex C/C and embedded environments.
• Proven experience implementing and operating Bazel Remote Caching and Remote Execution at scale.
• Strong programming experience in Rust C/C and Python.
• Experience debugging and optimizing distributed build systems CI pipelines and build infrastructure under real production constraints.
• Solid understanding of compiler toolchains linkers and build graph behavior.
• Ability to communicate technical tradeoffs clearly and influence teams through technical leadership.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with Nix and Nix-based packaging for reproducible builds and developer environments.
• Familiarity with BuildBuddy (or similar Bazel observability / remote execution platforms).
• Experience with Yocto-based toolchains and embedded Linux build workflows.
• Exposure to REAPI-compatible execution backends and remote build infrastructure.
• Experience supporting safety-critical or regulated software systems (medical automotive aerospace).
• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in Computer Science or related field.

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 employeeswho 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 governments 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 employeesstart 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.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time