Intuitive Surgical, Inc

Sustainment Lead

Intuitive Surgical, Inc$120K — $150K *
Technical Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Business, IT, Engineering, Criminal Justice, or similar, or equivalent experience.
  • 5+ years in Project/Program Management or Networking/IT Infrastructure with adaptable skills for physical security systems.
  • Experience managing vendor relationships, including negotiation and SLA enforcement.
  • Proven ability to manage or mentor teams, and lead projects without direct authority.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to present to senior leadership effectively.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the roadmap and architecture of physical security systems across global sites.
  • Manage complex security technology projects from scoping to delivery and stakeholder reporting.
  • Build and maintain relationships with vendors, handling contracts and ensuring SLA compliance.
  • Collaborate with IT on network architecture to support security infrastructure.
  • Supervise and mentor a team of systems administrators and engineers, setting performance goals.

Benefits

  • Flexible hybrid work environment with regular travel.
  • Opportunities for professional development and training in emerging technologies.
  • Exposure to international project coordination with diverse teams.
  • Engagement in high-impact projects with senior leadership oversight.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Position Summary
The Manager, Physical Security Systems leads the strategy, architecture, and day-to-day operations of the organization's global physical security technology portfolio, including access control, video management, visitor management, and key management platforms (e.g., Lenel OnGuard, Milestone XProtect, Envoy, Traka). This role owns vendor relationships, project delivery, budget planning, and a team of systems administrators, while partnering closely with Facilities, IT/Network Engineering, Legal, and business stakeholders across international locations. We are specifically seeking candidates from Project Management or Networking/IT Infrastructure backgrounds - deep physical security domain expertise can be developed on the job, but strong program delivery discipline or enterprise network fluency is what this role requires from day one.

Key Responsibilities
  • Own the roadmap, architecture, and lifecycle management of enterprise physical security systems (access control, VMS, visitor management, key management) across multiple global sites.
  • Lead complex, multi-site security technology projects end-to-end - scoping, budgeting, scheduling, vendor coordination, risk tracking, and stakeholder reporting - using standard PM methodology (charters, RAID logs, status reporting, change control).
  • Manage relationships with security integrators, manufacturers, and managed service providers; lead RFP/RFQ processes, negotiate contracts and SOWs, and hold vendors accountable to SLAs.
  • Partner with IT/Network Engineering on the network architecture supporting security systems - VLAN segmentation, firewall rules, bandwidth planning for video/access traffic, PoE deployment, and cybersecurity hardening of OT/IoT security devices.
  • Build, mentor, and manage a team of systems administrators and engineers; set performance goals, prioritize workload, and develop staff technical capability.
  • Own the departmental budget for physical security systems - capital project estimates, maintenance contracts, licensing renewals, and forecasting for leadership review.
  • Establish and maintain system documentation, configuration standards, and standard operating procedures across all managed platforms.
  • Drive incident response and root-cause analysis for major system outages or security events; report findings and remediation plans to senior leadership.
  • Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory and contractual requirements (e.g., CTPAT, data privacy, insurance/audit requirements) across all managed systems.
  • Evaluate and integrate emerging security technologies, presenting cost-benefit analysis and implementation plans to executive stakeholders.
  • Serve as the primary escalation point between security operations, facilities, IT, and executive leadership for physical security systems matters.


Qualifications

Qualifications

Required
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (Business, IT, Engineering, Criminal Justice, or similar) or equivalent professional experience.
  • 5+ years of professional experience in one of the following, with demonstrated ability to quickly cross-apply it to physical security systems:
    • Project/Program Management - PMP or equivalent experience leading cross-functional technical projects, managing budgets, vendors, and multi-stakeholder timelines; or
    • Networking/IT Infrastructure - hands-on experience with enterprise networking (TCP/IP, VLANs, switching, firewalls, PoE), server/appliance administration, and IT security fundamentals.
  • Proven experience managing vendors/contractors, including contract negotiation and SLA enforcement.
  • Experience managing or mentoring direct reports, or leading project teams without direct reporting authority.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and translating technical topics for non-technical audiences.
  • Willingness and ability to travel to project sites/office locations as needed.

Preferred
  • Direct experience with enterprise physical security platforms (Lenel OnGuard, Milestone XProtect, Genetec, Envoy, Traka, or similar).
  • PMP, CAPM, or Agile/Scrum certification (for PM-track candidates); or CCNA/Network+/Security+ certification (for networking-track candidates).
  • Experience in a global or multi-site organization, coordinating across time zones and regional teams.
  • Familiarity with physical security risk assessment frameworks and industry standards (e.g., CTPAT, ASIS guidelines).
  • Budget ownership experience of $500K+ in technology or capital projects.

Key Skills and Competencies
  • Leadership: Ability to build, direct, and develop a technical team; sets clear priorities and holds staff and vendors accountable.
  • Program Management: Structures ambiguous, multi-stakeholder initiatives into clear scope, budget, timeline, and risk plans; delivers on commitments.
  • Technical Fluency: Comfortable learning new platforms quickly; for networking-track candidates, applies existing infrastructure expertise to access control/VMS network design; for PM-track candidates, partners closely with technical SMEs to validate designs.
  • Vendor Management: Skilled at contract negotiation, SLA management, and holding external partners accountable for delivery and quality.
  • Financial Acumen: Builds and manages budgets, cost estimates, and forecasts; communicates trade-offs clearly to leadership.
  • Cross-Functional Communication: Bridges security, IT, facilities, and executive stakeholders; adjusts communication style and detail level to the audience.
  • Strategic Thinking: Evaluates new technologies and approaches against organizational risk, cost, and operational goals.

Work Environment
  • Hybrid/on-site role with regular travel between office and project locations (domestic and, at times, international).
  • Requires availability for occasional after-hours support during major incidents, system cutovers, or maintenance windows.
  • Works within a fast-paced, matrixed environment coordinating across security, IT, facilities, and vendor teams.


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.

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.

About Intuitive Surgical, Inc

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. is an American corporation that develops, manufactures, and markets robotic products designed to improve clinical outcomes of patients through minimally invasive surgery, most notably with the da Vinci Surgical System. The company is part of the NASDAQ-100 and S&P 500. Intuitive Surgical has installed more than 5,000 surgical systems worldwide, and has more than 4,000 employees.
Learn more about Intuitive Surgical, Inc
Size
9,793 employees
Market Cap
$93.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$1 billion
Founded
1999
5 Year Trend
+16.1%
Revenue
$4.3 billion
NASDAQ

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