Principal Test Engineer

Job description

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 21 Aug 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 LifeJoin Medtronic's Engineering team and help develop the next generation of life-changing medical technologies. This Principal Test Engineer will play a critical role in developing and optimizing manufacturing processes for complex capital equipment products. The role will focus on design transfer, production readiness, software release implementation, process improvement, and manufacturing excellence within a highly regulated medical device environment. This position partners closely with R&D, Quality, Operations, and Manufacturing teams to ensure efficient and compliant production processes while supporting new product introductions and sustaining engineering activities. The ideal candidate brings deep manufacturing engineering expertise, experience with software-enabled products, and a strong continuous improvement mindset. Primary ResponsibilitiesDesign and develop manufacturing processes, procedures, production layouts, and workflows for complex electromechanical medical device assemblies. Lead manufacturing readiness activities for new product introductions, software releases, and design transfer initiatives. Develop and optimize production processes to improve efficiency, quality, throughput, and regulatory compliance. Evaluate manufacturing equipment, machinery, and tooling performance, identifying and implementing corrective actions to address issues and improve performance. Collaborate with engineering teams to influence product designs that support manufacturability, scalability, and efficient production. Incorporate inspection, testing, and validation requirements into manufacturing processes and production plans. Drive statistical process control (SPC), Lean Manufacturing, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational performance. Ensure manufacturing processes, procedures, and documentation comply with applicable regulatory and quality system requirements. Required QualificationsBachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline. Minimum of 7 years of relevant manufacturing engineering experience, or an advanced degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience. Experience developing, implementing, and optimizing manufacturing processes in a regulated industry. Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional manufacturing projects from concept through implementation. Strong knowledge of manufacturing systems, process controls, product transfer, and production support activities. 25% travel required Preferred QualificationsExperience implementing software releases and test automation solutions within a manufacturing environment. Experience supporting production software releases and design transfer activities for software-enabled products. Knowledge of capital equipment manufacturing, including low-volume, high-complexity production environments. Experience working with motors, sensors, and electromechanical assemblies. Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement expertise, including DMAIC methodology and/or Six Sigma Black Belt certification. 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. Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$123,200.00 - $184,800.00 This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP). The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California. The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification/education, market conditions, and location. Compensation and benefits information pertains solely to candidates hired within the United States (local market compensation and benefits will apply for others). The following benefits and additional compensation are available to those regular employees who work 20+ hours per week: Health, Dental and vision insurance, Health Savings Account, Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Life insurance, Long-term disability leave, Dependent daycare spending account, Tuition assistance/reimbursement, and Simple Steps (global well-being program). The following benefits and additional compensation are available to all regular employees: Incentive plans, 401(k) plan plus employer contribution and match, Short-term disability, Paid time off, Paid holidays, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Employee Assistance Program, Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums), and Capital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums). Regular employees are those who a