Principal Buyer - Prototype Purchasing & Logistics, 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 Buyer – Prototype Purchasing & Logistics to own the operational flow required to establish and support laboratories, engineering test systems and development builds for our Robotics advanced development team. The role will source components, equipment and specialist services; place and track orders; manage supplier commitments and lead times; and coordinate shipping and logistics so that engineering teams can remain focused on technical delivery.

The successful candidate will create visibility and discipline across a high volume of purchases routed through Ireland, anticipate material constraints and resolve procurement and logistics issues in a fast-paced environment where requirements and priorities may evolve quickly.

The role will be based at the Mervue Campus in Galway, Ireland, supporting local laboratory and test capability development and collaboration with Medtronic sites, suppliers and external partners.

• Own the end-to-end operational purchasing and material flow required to build and sustain engineering laboratories, custom test systems and development prototypes.
• Source laboratory equipment, instrumentation, fixtures, tooling, custom machined and additive-manufactured parts, PCBAs, sensors, motors, cables, electromechanical assemblies, consumables and specialist services.
• Partner with Engineering and R&D to understand technical requirements, drawings, bills of material, specifications, quantities and required dates, and translate them into clear purchasing actions.
• Place purchase orders and manage the complete order lifecycle, including supplier acknowledgement, progress tracking, expediting, receipt coordination and resolution of invoice or delivery discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate visibility of order status, lead times, risks and expected delivery dates across the high volume of parts and equipment purchased through Ireland.
• Work directly with suppliers to obtain quotations, confirm technical and commercial requirements, improve delivery commitments and establish recovery plans when milestones are at risk.
• Evaluate quotations and negotiate pricing, lead times, minimum-order quantities, expediting options and commercial terms while balancing urgency, quality, cost and continuity of supply.
• Coordinate domestic and international shipments between suppliers, the Mervue site, other Medtronic locations and external partners, including freight arrangements, shipping documentation and delivery tracking.
• Support import and export activities by working with internal teams and logistics providers on customs information, Incoterms, classification data and shipment exceptions.
• Establish practical procurement and logistics processes that prevent engineers from spending significant time sourcing parts, chasing orders or resolving routine delivery issues.
• Identify supply, capacity, quality and logistics risks early; communicate impacts clearly; and drive mitigation or escalation to protect laboratory, test-system and development schedules.
• Coordinate supplier onboarding and collaborate with Supplier Quality, Quality Engineering, Finance and other functions to meet applicable purchasing, quality and compliance requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement in purchasing visibility, supplier responsiveness, ordering workflows, material receipt and inter-site logistics.
  Typically manages major / moderately complex projects, involving delegation of work and review of work products, at times acting as a team leader.

Key Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business, Engineering, Operations or a related discipline, with 7+ years of relevant purchasing, sourcing, supply-chain or logistics experience; OR a master’s/advanced degree in a related discipline with 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience in operational purchasing, procurement, material planning or logistics within an engineering, R&D, new-product-development or complex manufacturing environment.
• Experience sourcing technical components, laboratory equipment, custom parts, electromechanical assemblies or engineering services from specifications, drawings and bills of material.
• Proven ability to manage a high volume of purchase requests and orders, maintain reliable status visibility and drive suppliers against demanding lead times.
• Strong supplier-management and commercial skills, including quotation analysis, negotiation, expediting, lead-time reduction and supply-risk mitigation.
• Experience coordinating domestic and international shipments and working with freight providers, shipping documentation, customs requirements and delivery-issue resolution.
• Working knowledge of purchase-to-pay processes, supplier onboarding and ERP or procurement systems such as SAP, Ariba, Candex or comparable platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, prioritise effectively and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment with changing requirements and incomplete information.
• Strong communication, organisation, problem-solving and stakeholder-management skills, with close attention to detail and follow-through.
• Experience in medical devices, healthcare, robotics, electronics or another highly regulated industry is desirable.
• A recognised procurement or supply-chain certification, such as CIPS, ISM CPSM or ASCM CSCP, is advantageous.

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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Apply only through official Medtronic channels. All legitimate Medtronic recruiting communications come from approved Medtronic platforms and official @medtronic.com email addresses. 

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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 [email protected]. 

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: 77,200.00 EUR - 115,800.00 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).