Senior Principal Tool Engineer

Job description

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 11 Jul 2026 Careers that change lives start here. Medtronic is a global leader in healthcare technology with a Mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. Our 95,000 employees work across more than 150 countries to put patients first — developing innovative medical technologies that improve the lives of 72+ million patients each year. Your unique talents will help shape the future of healthcare while building a career grounded in purpose, growth, and impact. A Day in the LifeAt Medtronic, we bring bold ideas forward with speed and decisiveness to put patients first in everything we do. In-person exchanges are invaluable to our work. We're working onsite 4 days a week as part of our commitment to fostering a culture of professional growth and cross-functional collaboration as we work together to engineer the extraordinary. In your role, you may work from the following Medtronic sites: • Mounds View, Minnesota • Brooklyn Park, Minnesota • Brooklyn Center, Minnesota • Rice Creek (Fridley), Minnesota • Plymouth, Minnesota • Dexter, Michigan • Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Lafayette, Colorado • Irvine, California (UCI) This role requires up to 50% travel to enhance collaboration and ensure successful completion of projects. Molding & Capital Tooling strives to be a trusted, technical-focused organization by delivering molds on schedule, within budget, and of the highest quality, while promoting team development, innovation, and partnerships. The Sr Principal Tooling Engineer leads the design, build and process development of injection molding tools for plastic components within New Product Development, ensuring alignment with product design, material, and manufacturing requirements. This role provides technical leadership in plastic part design, mold flow analysis, polymer rheology, and tooling design while guiding suppliers through tool build, validation, and qualification activities. The engineer applies Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), tolerance stack-up analysis, and statistical methods such as DOE, MSA, and SPC to support robust process development. This supplier-facing role also leverages 3D CAD, data analysis tools, and SPI standards to ensure high-quality molded components and reliable tooling performance. Bring your talents to an industry leader in medical technology and healthcare solutions – we’re a market leader and growing every day. You can be proud to be a part of technologies that are rooted in our long history of mission-driven innovation. You will be empowered to shape your own career. We encourage and support your growth with the training, mentorship, and guidance you need to own your future success. Together, we can transform healthcare. Join us for a career that changes lives. CAREERS THAT CHANGE LIVES Solid understanding of Plastic Part Design / Injection Molding Guidelines. Knowledgeable in the use of 3D CAD packages & Data Analysis software. Understands Mold Flow analysis Rheology knowledge both Crystalline & Amorphous plastics resin (examples include polycarbonate, acrylic, PVC, Nylon and Co-polyesters) Demonstrated ability to guide and coordinate vendor tool design and qualification activities to meet requirements of the application and DRM guidelines Understands limits / fits, tolerance stack up analysis. Understanding of Geometric Dimensional Tolerancing (GDT) and application for inspection setup and tolerancing allowances of molded components Provide technical assistance and guidance to suppliers and contract manufacturers performing qualification and validation testing Use and understanding of Statistical Tools (Design of Experiments, Measurement System Analysis/Gage R&R, Process Capability and Statistical Process Control) Use of Society of Plastics Industry Standards (SPI) for mold build classification and texture/surface appearance recognition The Sr Principal Tooling Engineer is responsible for owning and driving mold tool development and injection molding projects through adherence to established product design, scientific injection molding process, tooling, resin, and equipment. The role is supplier facing MUST HAVE (Minimum Qualifications) Bachelor’s degree 10+ years of experience with a bachelor’s degree or 8+ years of experience with an advanced degree NICE TO HAVE (Preferred Qualifications) Degree in plastics, mechanical, manufacturing or industrial engineering Previous Medtronic/medical device experience Molding certifications Strong organizational skills Analytical problem solving High level of professionalism and strong communication skills Demonstrated initiative and innovation Ability to transfer the technical knowledge to manufacturing operations Review/prepare test protocols and reports in order to qualify part and product changes Work remotely across time zones Collaborate cross functionally with team members (i.e. R&D, Regulatory, Suppliers/Contract Manufacturers, Marketing, Biocompatibility, and Operations) Component qualification experience is a plus For Baccalaureate degrees earned outside of the United States, a degree that satisfies the requirements of 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(A) is required. Physical Job Requirements The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position. The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For Office Roles: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile. The employee is also required to interact with a computer, and communicate with peers and co-workers. Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role. U.S. Work Authorization & Sponsorship At Medtronic, we are committed to fostering an environment where employees can thrive and make a meaningful impact. In alignment with our enterprise-wide workforce planning approach, U.S. work authorization sponsorship (H-1B, TN, J, etc.) is offered exclusively for Principal-level roles and above, where specialized expertise aligns with long-term business needs. Roles below the Principal level require candidates to possess unrestricted U.S. work authorization at the time of hire and for the duration of employment. ‌ Recruitment Fraud Alert We are aware of phishing scams targeting job seekers. Please keep the following in mind: Apply only through official Medtronic channels. All legitimate Medtronic recruiting communications come from approved Medtronic platforms and official @medtronic.com email addresses. Medtronic will never ask for payment or sensitive personal information (such as bank account or Social Security details) during early stages of the hiring process. Any such requests are not legitimate. If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from Medtronic, do not respond, click links, or open attachments. If you have any questions, concerns regarding the authenticity of a communication alleged to have been made by or on behalf of Medtronic, please contact us immediately at AskHR@medtronic.com. ‌ Benefits & Compensation Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values. We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help to create. We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.