Principal R&D Engineer – Technical Lead - Surgical

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 Life

Making the best possible surgery accessible to every patient. We believe the future of surgery is less invasive and more precise, predictable, and personalised.

We bring together sharp surgical expertise, extensive medical knowledge, and cutting-edge technology with a single-minded focus on each patient - wherever they are, and however they need to be treated.

Each surgical specialty faces unique challenges, yet the goal is universal: better care for patients. By understanding these differences, we deliver solutions that empower surgeons and keep patients at the heart of every decision.

We are seeking a Principal R&D Engineer - Technical Lead to provide end-to-end technical leadership and accountability for a strategic industrialization program involving complex precision electromechanical systems.

As the central technical integration point, this role will ensure Product Design, Systems, Manufacturing Engineering, Test Engineering, Quality, Operations, suppliers and other technical functions converge into a coherent, production-ready solution. The successful candidate will maintain the overall technical picture, identify gaps and dependencies, engage the right experts and drive evidence-based technical decisions to closure.

The role will be based at the Mervue Campus in Galway, Ireland.

• Own the integrated technical solution and ensure alignment with product, system, quality, Manufacturing and business requirements from lab development and pilot-line maturation through production release.
• Serve as the central technical integration point across product design, process, equipment, manufacturing test, quality, suppliers, Operations and Manufacturing workstreams.
• Maintain oversight of technical scope, requirements, interfaces, dependencies, risks, decisions, evidence, maturity and readiness across the program.
• Provide technical direction and drive evidence-based decisions and trade-offs where issues cross functional or subsystem boundaries.
• Lead multidisciplinary technical reviews covering product performance, manufacturability, testability, reliability, interfaces and system-level impacts.
• Drive complex technical risks and issues to closure through structured analysis, engineering builds, testing, risk assessment and appropriate subject-matter expertise.
• Ensure technical convergence and readiness through lab builds, pilot-line maturation, Design Transfer, Manufacturing release and production ramp-up.
• Partner with the R&D Engineering Program Manager to align technical priorities, transfer criteria, deliverables, dependencies and execution while retaining accountability for the integrated technical outcome.

Key Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Electrical, Systems or a related engineering discipline with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience OR Masters / Advance degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Electrical, Systems or a related engineering discipline with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience.
• Significant experience leading multidisciplinary engineering work across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, manufacturing and test domains.
• Demonstrated accountability for an integrated technical solution, major subsystem or complex cross-functional engineering workstream.
• Strong systems-thinking capability across requirements, architecture, interfaces, dependencies, risks, technical evidence, trade-offs and maturity.
• Ability to structure ambiguous technical challenges, engage appropriate subject-matter experts, facilitate decisions and drive complex issues to closure.
• Strong understanding of product development, engineering changes, verification, Design Transfer, industrialization and manufacturing readiness.
• Excellent engineering judgement, communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to influence and provide technical direction in a matrix organization.
• Experience with complex mechatronic products, precision mechanisms, motion control or regulated medical-device development is desirable.

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. 

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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.
 

Pay range / Rango salarial / Intervalo salarial /Fascia retributiva / Tranche de salaire / Gehaltsband / Salaribereik:  Ireland: 81,120.00 EUR - 121,680.00 EUR | The final salary within this range will be determined based on objective, job-related criteria, including relevant experience, skills and qualifications, in accordance with our compensation framework.

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This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).