Senior Product Operations Accounting Manager

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 Product Operations Accounting Manager owns accounting policies and related governance related to both Global Manufacturing Operations and Product Operations (inventory, cost of goods sold, and R&D expenses).

This high-impact role leads the assessment of new accounting pronouncements, non-routine transactions, strategic initiatives, and system implementations. Evaluating not only the accounting impact, but also the downstream effects on internal processes, controls, systems, and reporting. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, brings strong technical acumen, and communicates complex accounting guidance with clarity and precision. This role leads cross-functional collaboration with Accounting, FP&A, Product Operations/Global Manufacturing Operations, IT, SEC Reporting, and other business functions, with additional responsibilities including internal controls oversight, fluctuation analysis, and leading close meeting discussions. With growing complexity in global operations, this role offers high visibility and the opportunity to shape accounting practices while gaining a deep understanding of the business, our products, and the underlying processes that support financial reporting.

We are looking for a driven leader who can evolve with business growth, identify future accounting and reporting risks, and proactively drive solutions. The successful candidate will be comfortable digging deep into accounting guidance and business processes, asking thoughtful questions, challenging assumptions, and developing practical solutions that continue to improve existing processes while building new capabilities. We look to hire high-quality individuals with integrity, personal accountability, teamwork, excellence, intellectual curiosity, and proactive thinking. If you exemplify our values and want to be part of our interesting journey in the world of robotic-assisted surgery, this is the role for you.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Own accounting policies and related governance for inventory, COGS, R&D expenses, ensuring compliance with U.S. GAAP and external reporting requirements.
• Lead analysis for COGS, inventory, and R&D expenses, presenting key drivers and insights during close meetings.
• Provide ongoing technical accounting consultation, draft technical accounting memos, policy updates, and governance materials to substantiate judgments on policy application, process design, and disclosures.
• Lead cross-functional projects with Business, Accounting, FP&A, Finance Transformation, SEC Reporting, and IT to implement sustainable processes, systems, and controls; including partnering with IT to develop and automate reporting and oversight tools.
• Lead technical accounting projects that translate accounting conclusions into executable process changes, data/reporting/system requirements, and control activities.
• Partner with internal and external auditors on accounting policy, implementation approaches, financial statement presentation, and control design.
• Drive process improvements focused on standardization, automation, enhanced reporting, and long-term scalability.
• Monitor the standard cost setting activities, working closely with our Global Operations FP&A team.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• 9+ years of public accounting and/or industry experience with strong technical accounting expertise.
• Strong leadership, communication, and executive presence with the ability to drive consensus, conclusions, and implementation across cross-functional stakeholders. 
• Strong technical accounting (U.S. GAAP) understanding and expertise, with the ability to interpret guidance and apply it to business facts, operational processes, controls, and reporting requirements. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, intellectual curiosity, high capacity for growth, and the ability to evolve alongside the Company as business complexity increases. 
• High level of integrity, accountability, ownership, and commitment to excellence. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead end-to-end projects from technical research and impact assessment through process design, stakeholder alignment, implementation, reporting, controls, and ongoing governance. 
• Experience partnering with IT or systems teams to define data requirements, enhance reporting, automate processes, and improve accounting oversight. 
• Ability to identify future accounting, reporting, process, and control risks and proactively develop scalable solutions. 
• This role requires working onsite in our Sunnyvale, CA office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday every week.

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• CPA required

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with inventory, cost accounting, reporting requirements, or accounting policy implementation is strongly preferred. 

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.

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.