Principal Automation Engineer

Job description

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 16 Oct 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 LifeThe Operations & Innovation (O&I) Engineering organization partners with manufacturing sites to advance automation capabilities, improve operational performance, and accelerate deployment of emerging manufacturing technologies. The team supports automation strategy, equipment development, process optimization, and technology implementation across manufacturing operations while establishing scalable solutions that improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost. The Principal Automation Engineer serves as the primary Operations & Innovation Automation Engineering representative for the Danvers, Massachusetts manufacturing site. The role is based onsite in Danvers and partners closely with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Research & Development, and site leadership teams. Periodic travel to North Haven, Connecticut and other East Region manufacturing sites is required to support project execution, collaboration, and automation initiatives. Expected travel is approximately 10-15%. The Principal Automation Engineer provides technical leadership for automation initiatives at the Danvers manufacturing site and serves as the site's primary Operations & Innovation engineering representative. This role supports existing automated manufacturing systems, leads development and deployment of new automation technologies, and drives the site's automation strategy through identification, evaluation, and execution of opportunities that improve manufacturing performance and enable future growth. Primary Responsibilities Serve as the primary Automation Engineering and Operations & Innovation representative for the Danvers manufacturing site. Lead automation and machine vision initiatives, including equipment qualification, performance optimization, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement activities. Support automated manufacturing systems through technical problem solving, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and reliability improvements. Develop and maintain the site's automation roadmap and project pipeline to support operational objectives and future business needs. Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging automation technologies that enhance manufacturing performance and scalability. Partner with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Research & Development, and site leadership to prioritize and execute automation projects. Ensure automated systems comply with quality, validation, safety, and regulatory requirements within a regulated manufacturing environment. Collaborate with regional automation teams to standardize solutions, share best practices, and leverage common technologies across manufacturing sites. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Controls Engineering and 7+ years of experience supporting manufacturing automation, controls, robotics, machine vision systems, industrial equipment, or automated manufacturing processes. Experience leading technical projects within a manufacturing environment. Experience troubleshooting complex manufacturing equipment and implementing sustainable corrective actions. Experience leading equipment qualification, validation, and change control activities, including Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ), and Performance Qualification (PQ). Preferred Qualifications Master's degree or higher in Engineering, Automation, Controls Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Science, or Artificial Intelligence. Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams to drive technical decisions and project execution. Experience in medical device, pharmaceutical, or other regulated manufacturing environments. Experience with automated assembly equipment, robotics, motion control systems, machine vision technologies, and programmable logic controller (PLC) and human-machine interface (HMI) automation platforms. Experience implementing advanced inspection technologies, industrial vision systems, artificial intelligence, machine learning, or data-driven manufacturing solutions. 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):$122,400.00 - $183,600.00 ‌ 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, certificatio