Principal Analyst, AI Transformation (Controllership)

Primary Function of the Position:

The Finance Transformation team is an innovative, results-oriented team within the Corporate Accounting Department. In this role, you will partner with  Accounting Functional teams , IT, Finance peers, and cross-functional stakeholders to identify high-value opportunities to simplify, standardize, and optimize end-to-end finance processes.

This position is focused on applying artificial intelligence, automation, and data-driven approaches to redesign workflows, improve decision quality, strengthen controls, and reduce manual effort across accounting and reporting processes, laying the groundwork for AI transformation within Controllership, executing AI use cases and early pilots within Controllership leveraging self-service models on enterprise platforms and new opportunities or early-stage development. 

The ideal candidate brings a demonstrated experience implementing AI-enabled solutions, preferably in accounting, controllership, or other finance environments - and can translate business pain points into scalable, practical solutions that deliver measurable business value.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Evaluate end-to-end finance and accounting processes to identify opportunities for simplification, standardization, automation, and AI-enabled optimization
• Lead the design of future-state workflows that leverage artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and automation to improve cycle time, accuracy, scalability, and user experience
• Translate business pain points into clear requirements, use cases, business process documentation, test scenarios, and implementation plans for AI and process optimization initiatives
• Partner with IT, data, and business subject matter experts to implement AI solutions responsibly, including solution design, data readiness, testing, controls, user acceptance, and change management
• Hands-on development of AI solutions for Controllership 
• Establish success metrics and monitor solution performance to ensure AI-enabled process changes deliver measurable improvements in quality, efficiency, insight generation, and control effectiveness
• Present recommendations, roadmaps, and project updates to management and cross-functional teams to drive alignment, adoption, and prioritization of AI initiatives
• Deliver process optimization projects for the Controllership organization that reduce manual work, improve transparency, enhance compliance, and enable more intelligent decision-making through AI and automation
• Build AI literacy within Controllership through examples, demos, and practical education.

Required Skills and Experience: 

• 7+ years of relevant experience in finance transformation, process optimization, accounting operations, or related fields
• Strong experience across end-to-end finance and accounting processes, with the ability to identify root causes, redesign workflows, and improve operational performance
• Demonstrated experience of implementing AI, automation, or advanced analytics solutions that improved efficiency, controls, insight generation, or decision support
• Practical understanding of how to apply AI in a controlled business environment, including data quality considerations, risk awareness, testing discipline, and change management
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and structured thinking skills, with the ability to translate complex issues into actionable solutions
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and project leadership skills
• Strong written documentation skills, including business requirements, process maps, testing documentation, and executive-ready summaries
• Ability to handle ambiguity, evaluate emerging technologies thoughtfully, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• 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, Information Systems, Data Analytics, or a related field is required

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience implementing AI-enabled solutions in accounting, finance, controllership, or other highly controlled business environments is strongly preferred
• Experience with data lakes, data warehouses, and semantic models is strongly preferred
• Strong knowledge of SAP or other large ERP platforms, and familiarity with how ERP data supports automation and AI use cases, is preferred
• Experience with process mining, workflow automation, advanced Excel automation, business intelligence tools, or data platforms used to enable process optimization is preferred
• Knowledge of accounting controls, reporting requirements, and governance considerations relevant to AI adoption in finance is preferred

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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.