Sr. Demand and Supply Planner

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

We are looking for team members with very strong analytical skill sets, manufacturing/supply chain experience, to participate and lead in the SIOP planning process. The SIOP planning function is an excellent way to broaden your experience, skills and network of colleagues, while leveraging knowledge on large data sets to compute demand and supply plans to meet customer demand and maintain inventory targets.  We measure this through various metrics such as Forecast accuracy, Inventory health, Sales Plan v Actuals, Build Plan vs Actuals, First Pass Fill Rates etc.

Key Responsibilities include (not limited to):

• Lead/participate in cross-functional team meetings/ SIOP process to develop best in class demand plan and optimum supply plan
• Facilitate and drive collaboration with Marketing, Sales Operations, Finance team members to develop monthly/quarterly forecasts over mid-term and long-term.
• Partner with NPI/ Engineering/ Marketing teams to understand product lifecycle/ buffer strategy, develop robust plans to enable new product launch and product end of life (EOL) planning.
• Review and make improvements to statistical forecasting models, to drive best- in-class demand forecast accuracy
• Analyze data output, historical shipments/ consumption for any modifications required based on product segmentation.  
• Understand/ manage safety stock/ inventory targets for various regions/ plants
• Partner with manufacturing, planning, regulatory and facilities teams to understand and drive buffer strategies to enable building moves and plan for regulatory restrictions.
• Understanding of Capacity Models (lines/shifts, line efficiencies, head count and material lead times/constraints)
• Develop capacity and material constrained build plan through cross functional collaboration with various partners (Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain)
• Scenario planning for different Demand and Supply scenarios, understand & articulate the different options and impact
• Represent their product families and present relevant data/ charts in the cross-functional SIOP meetings
• Load plan to enable Manufacturing and Supply Chain execution
• Monitor performance to plan, e.g. forecast versus actuals, and drive corrective actions/ mitigation plans
• Support other planning activities such as Long-Range Forecast Creation, Excess & Obsolete reduction etc.
• Drive improvements to Key Performance Indicators such as Forecast accuracy, on time in full (OTIF), Backorder, Finished Goods Inventory Attainment through root-cause analysis and cross-functional collaboration
• Subject matter experience to participate and lead projects to improve operational efficiency & profitability goals
• Troubleshoot and help resolve MPS/MRP issues for demand propagation; Participate in key projects, testing and go-live.
• Travel: 10 - 25% Domestic/ International.
• Work Location: Sunnyvale, CA, USA

 

Qualifications

Core Competencies

• Analytical Rigor: Data-driven, model-savvy, and meticulous about assumptions and governance.
• Decision Quality: Balances service, cost, and risk; proposes clear scenarios and trade-offs.
• Execution Excellence: Delivers on commitments; strong follow-through on corrective actions.
• Collaboration & Influence: Brings teams together; aligns priorities across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and QA/RA.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Thrives amid evolving demand signals, supply constraints, and regulatory requirements.
• Continuous Improvement: Standardizes processes, reduces variability, and improves signal fidelity.

Desired Education / Skillsets/ Qualifications

• MS/MBA with minimum 6+ yrs relevant experience; Degree in Engineering, Math/Finance, Operations Research, Supply Chain highly preferred.

• BS with minimum 8+ yrs relevant experience; Degree in Supply Chain, Operations Research, Finance, IE, Engineering highly preferred.

• Analytical rigor / Data/ problem solving skills

• Supply Chain/ Planning Domain experience

• Product Life-cycle Management (New product introduction, End of Sale)

• Expert in MS Office applications – Excel and .ppt

• Familiarity and/or ability to work with Advanced Planning applications Like IBP, Oracle, O9 etc. and SAP ERP to create scalable processes

• Leadership, communication and executive presentation skills to share insights/ gain consensus

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.

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.