R&D Engineer - Intermediate

Abbott Laboratories; Clonmel; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott Ireland is seeking an R&D Engineer to join the Clonmel team, developing next generation medical devices from concept to commercialisation. You will prototype, test, and optimise designs while collaborating with cross‑functional groups to deliver patient‑focused solutions.

Your role spans design, validation, process development, and manufacturing transfer, with exposure to advanced prototyping, materials selection, and DFМ principles, contributing to Abbott's healthcare innovations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/ Biomedical/ Manufacturing Engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of industry experience in medical devices or related area.

Responsibilities

• Develop and design medical devices from concept through manufacturing transfer.
• Lead product development lifecycle, including prototyping, verification and validation.
• Apply DFM principles to scale up from development to production.
• Collaborate with Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Clinical and Supply Chain teams.
• Prepare technical reports and design reviews; present updates to stakeholders.
• Support material selection and supplier engagement for prototypes and production.

Skills

Product Development

Design Engineering

Process Development

CAD - SolidWorks

Prototyping

DFM

Six Sigma

Material selection

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

3D Printing

Prototype Manufacturing

Job description

Abbott in Ireland

Abbott has maintained a strong presence in Ireland since 1946 and celebrates its 80th anniversary in the country in 2026. The company supports the Irish healthcare sector with a broad portfolio spanning diagnostics, diabetes care, medical devices and nutritional products. Today, Abbott employs more than 6,500 people across ten sites located in Dublin, Donegal, Clonmel, Cootehill, Galway, Kilkenny, Longford and Sligo.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Abbott Ireland Vascular Division Clonmel

Abbott Vascular is one of the world's leading vascular care businesses. Abbott Vascular is uniquely focused on advancing the treatment of vascular disease and improving patient care by combining the latest medical device innovations with world-class pharmaceuticals, investing in research and development and advancing medicine through training and education.

Our broad line of vascular devices–which includes vessel closure, endovascular and coronary technologies–are used to treat vessel diseases of the heart, carotid arteries and peripheral blood vessels. These vessel diseases can lead to heart attack, stroke, critical limb ischemia and other serious vascular conditions.

*Please note any offer of employment for this position is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination, including drug and alcohol screening, conducted by a medical practitioner designated by the Company.

Are you passionate about transforming ideas into life-changing healthcare technologies?

Join Abbott's Research & Development team in Clonmel and play a key role in developing next generation medical devices. This is an exciting opportunity to work on a multi-year innovation pipeline, collaborating with talented engineers and cross-functional teams to bring novel concepts from early-stage development through to commercialisation.

As an R&D Engineer, you will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies, prototype innovative solutions, solve complex engineering challenges, and contribute directly to products that improve patient outcomes worldwide.

What You'll Do

As a key member of our R&D team, you will:

• Contribute to the design and development of innovative medical devices.

• Drive projects through the product development lifecycle, from concept generation and feasibility through prototyping, verification, validation, and manufacturing transfer.

• Develop and evaluate prototypes using a variety of advanced manufacturing technologies including:

  • Injection moulding

  • Extrusion

  • Polymer and metal 3D printing

  • Rapid prototyping technologies

• Apply Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles to ensure successful scale-up from development to production.

• Lead and support process development activities that enable efficient and robust manufacturing solutions.

• Utilise Six Sigma and structured problem-solving techniques to investigate technical challenges and implement effective solutions.

• Collaborate closely with Quality, Manufacturing, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical, and Supply Chain teams to deliver successful outcomes.

• Support material selection, supplier engagement, and sourcing activities for both prototype and commercial device development.

• Prepare and present technical reports, design reviews, and project updates to stakeholders.

• Contribute to innovation initiatives and explore emerging technologies that can enhance future products and processes.

• Participate in product verification, validation, and risk management activities in accordance with medical device regulations.

What We're Looking For

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree (NFQ Level 7 or higher) in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Product Design, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of qualifications and experience.

• 2+ years of industry experience, preferably within the medical device sector, with a strong foundation in:

  • Product Development

  • Design Engineering

  • Process Development Engineering

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting products through multiple stages of the development lifecycle.

• Strong CAD skills, preferably using SolidWorks.

• Hands-on prototyping and product development experience.

• Knowledge of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles.

• Process development and optimisation experience.

• Experience applying Six Sigma or structured problem-solving methodologies.

• Experience working with manufacturing technologies such as injection moulding, extrusion, additive manufacturing, or similar processes.

• Experience selecting materials and sourcing components for prototype and manufacturing applications.

Personal Attributes

We're looking for someone who is:

• A creative and adaptable problem solver.

• Curious, innovative, and eager to learn.

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced development environment.

• Hands-on and passionate about bringing ideas to life.

• A strong communicator who enjoys collaborating across multidisciplinary teams.

• Motivated by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference through healthcare innovation.

Why Join Abbott?

At Abbott, you'll work alongside some of the brightest minds in healthcare technology while helping to develop products that improve lives around the world.

In this role, you'll gain exposure to:

• Innovative and emerging medical device technologies.

• Cross-functional collaboration across global teams.

• Advanced prototyping and manufacturing technologies.

• A strong culture of continuous learning and professional development.

• The opportunity to see your ideas progress from concept to commercial product.