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.

The Future Forward organization is Intuitive’s advanced concepts group. We explore emerging technologies, prototype next-generation solutions, and build software experiences that shape the future of robotic-assisted surgery.

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

This is a principal-level individual contributor role responsible for US market access and reimbursement strategy for Intuitive's Future Forward growth platforms in the pre-launch period. The Principal, US Market Access & Reimbursement Strategy works upstream and day to day with Clinical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, HEOR, Medical Affairs, Business Development, and R&D to define the optimal reimbursement pathway for each platform from first-in-human through launch readiness, and to ensure that clinical study design and regulatory strategy are built with that pathway in mind — weighing trade-offs across coding, coverage, and payment options, and advising senior leaders on the risks, sequencing, and decisions needed to reach commercial viability.

The role owns the coding, coverage, and payment intelligence that informs both the platforms currently in development and the technologies under evaluation for incubation, licensing, or partnership.

The role is focused on strategy, judgment, and senior-level advisory impact, delivered hands-on rather than through a team. It requires deep working knowledge of the US reimbursement environment: CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10 coding at a certified coder's level; Medicare coverage and payment methodologies (OPPS, MPFS, IPPS); innovative payment pathways including NTAP, TPT, and NT-APC; provider economics across sites of service, including hospital margin, physician economics, and quality-linked payment programs; and early commercial payer strategy. The successful candidate will have health economics and evidence generation experience, will work independently in the codes and the data, and will present directly to senior management and executives.

Essential Job Duties

• Reimbursement Strategy, Coding, Coverage & Payment Analysis
• Medicare Innovative Payment Pathways
• Early Payer Strategy & Engagement
• Provider Economics, Health Economics & Claims Data
• Clinical & Regulatory Integration
• Pipeline Diligence & Business Development Support
• KOL, External Engagement & Communication

Qualifications

Required Experience and Education

Minimum 15 years of related experience in US market access, reimbursement, coding, or health policy roles within medical device, biotech, consultancy, payer, or hospital settings with a bachelor's degree; or 12 years with a master's degree; or a PhD with 8 years of experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MS, MBA, MPH, PhD, or equivalent) preferred.

AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) or equivalent (COC, CRC, AHIMA CCS) strongly preferred and highly valued; candidates without certification should demonstrate equivalent working fluency in procedural coding and a willingness to obtain CPC within 12 months of hire.

Track record of developing and executing US reimbursement strategy for novel or first-of-kind procedural technologies, from early pipeline through launch, and of personally producing the underlying reimbursement analyses, coding assessments, and payer policy reviews rather than directing a team.

Demonstrated experience with CMS innovative payment pathways (NTAP, TPT, NT-APC), including at least one application taken through to decision.

Experience working directly with Clinical Affairs and Regulatory Affairs on device programs, including contributing reimbursement input to study design, endpoint selection, indication wording, or FDA pathway decisions.

Health economics and evidence generation experience: contributing to budget impact or cost-effectiveness models, shaping clinical or real-world evidence plans to meet payer and CMS requirements, and working with published economic and clinical literature.

Demonstrated track record of executing early payer engagement activities (advisory boards, payer interviews, payer perception research) and KOL engagement in a pre-launch setting.

Experience in a pre-launch or early-pipeline environment where reimbursement strategy had to be built ahead of clinical evidence, ideally taking a procedural technology from feasibility through launch readiness.

International reimbursement, market access, or HTA experience (e.g., NICE, G-BA, HAS, MHLW/Chuikyo, MSAC) strongly preferred; working familiarity with claims and hospital databases (e.g., Definitive Healthcare) preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Deep fluency in CPT, HCPCS Level II, and ICD-10-CM/PCS coding, with the ability to work in the codes independently at a certified coder's level — crosswalk and analog selection, bundling and modifier logic, NCCI edits, and the reasoning behind how a procedure will actually be coded and billed in practice.

Strong working knowledge of Medicare payment methodologies (OPPS/APC, MPFS/RVU, IPPS/MS-DRG) and rule-making cycles; practical familiarity with commercial payer policy structures, MAC LCDs, and coverage determination processes.

Strong understanding of provider economics, including hospital margin and physician economics by site of service, and how quality-linked payment programs and penalties shape hospital purchasing and adoption decisions.

Working knowledge of FDA device pathways (510(k), De Novo, PMA, Breakthrough Device) and clinical study design fundamentals sufficient to engage credibly with Regulatory and Clinical colleagues and to identify where their decisions affect reimbursement.

Working knowledge of AMCP Format and analogous device/procedural payer dossier conventions, and of how pre-launch evidence plans map to commercial medical policy and prior authorization requirements.

Proven ability to translate HEOR outputs (cost-effectiveness, budget impact, real-world evidence) into payer-digestible narratives and to communicate economic content credibly to medical and pharmacy directors.

Strong written and verbal communication, with proven ability to distill complex reimbursement detail, tailor it to varying audiences, and deliver impactful presentations to senior management and executives.

Independent working style: determines methods and priorities on new assignments, drives results with limited supervision, and can be relied upon to assess known and unknown factors and determine the best way forward for the business, while partnering closely across a global matrix.

Advanced PowerPoint and Excel; comfort with data manipulation and visualization.

US-based; willingness to travel up to 25% domestically for KOL engagements, advisory boards, and conferences, with occasional international travel.

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 people.services@intuitive.com.

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.