Principal Controls Engineer - Advanced Manufacturing Engineering

COV Covidien LP; North Haven (CT); On-site; USD 123,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan with company match

Tuition assistance/reimbursement

Job summary

Medtronic is seeking a Principal Controls Engineer at its North Haven, CT site. You will lead automation and control systems across manufacturing initiatives, partnering with R&D, Quality, and Operations to enable new product introductions and scalable manufacturing.

The role requires deep expertise in controls architecture, PLCs, robotics, vision, and data-driven improvements, with in-person collaboration five days a week.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 7+ years or Master's with 5+ years or PhD with 3+ years relevant experience.
• Experience programming and troubleshooting PLCs (Allen Bradley), HMIs (Allen Bradley), and vision systems (Cognex In-Sight, VisionPro, Keyence).
• Experience with automated manufacturing equipment, NPI support, and validation in regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership to engineers, suppliers, and integrators to ensure automation solutions meet requirements.
• Design, develop, implement, and support control systems for manufacturing equipment and test systems.
• Lead integration and optimization of PLCs, HMIs, robotics, machine vision, sensors, and networks.
• Develop controls architectures and software to support new equipment and process improvements.
• Troubleshoot complex automation issues, perform root cause analyses, and implement corrective actions.

Skills

Controls architecture

PLCs

Robotics

Machine vision

Motion control

Equipment integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLCs

Allen-Bradley HMIs

Cognex In-Sight

Cognex VisionPro

Keyence vision systems

Job description

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 12 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.

A Day in the Life The Principal Controls Engineer serves a critical role within Medtronic's Advanced Manufacturing Engineering organization, providing technical leadership and expertise for complex automation, controls, and manufacturing systems. This position is being added to ensure adequate support for current and future manufacturing initiatives. Based at Medtronic's North Haven, CT site, this individual will play a key role in advancing the next generation of medical device and robotic‑assisted surgical technologies.

Working closely with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, and Operations, the Principal Controls Engineer will lead the development, integration, optimization, and support of automation and control systems that enable new product introduction, manufacturing scalability, equipment reliability, and operational excellence.

This role requires deep expertise in controls architecture, PLCs, robotics, machine vision, motion control, and equipment integration, along with the ability to influence cross‑functional teams and drive technical solutions from concept through implementation.

At Medtronic, we bring bold ideas forward with speed and decisiveness to put patients first in everything we do. In‑person exchanges are invaluable to our work. We’re working 5 days a week onsite as part of our commitment to fostering a culture of professional growth and cross‑functional collaboration as we work together to engineer the extraordinary.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership to engineers, suppliers, and system integrators to ensure automation solutions meet performance, safety, quality, and business requirements.
• Design, develop, implement, and support control systems for manufacturing equipment, automated assembly systems, test equipment, and material handling systems.
• Lead the integration and optimization of PLCs, HMIs, robotics, motion control systems, machine vision systems, sensors, and industrial networks.
• Develop controls architectures, software, and technical requirements to support new equipment, automation projects, and manufacturing process improvements.
• Troubleshoot complex automation and equipment issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions to improve reliability, quality, and performance.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, and Operations teams to support equipment development, qualification, new product introduction, and manufacturing scale‑up activities.
• Develop and implement automation, process control, and data collection solutions that improve equipment uptime, operational efficiency, and product quality.
• Ensure control systems, equipment, and processes comply with applicable quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degreewith a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience OR PhD with a minimum of 3 years relevant experience.

Experience programming and troubleshooting PLCs (Allen Bradley), HMIs (Allen Bradley), and vision systems, including Cognex In‑Sight Spreadsheet, Cognex VisionPro, and Keyence technologies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting automated manufacturing equipment utilizing PLCs, robotics, machine vision systems, or motion control technologies.
• Experience supporting new product introduction (NPI), equipment qualification, manufacturing scale‑up activities, and validation experience.
• Experience in medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading controls or automation projects from concept through implementation.
• Experience performing root cause investigations and implementing corrective actions for complex equipment or process issues.
• Experience working with equipment suppliers, system integrators, or contract manufacturers.
• Experience applying risk management or process control tools such as PFMEA, DFMEA, control plans, or hazard analyses.
• Experience mentoring engineers or serving as a technical lead for cross‑functional engineering teams.
• For Baccalaureate degrees earned outside of the United States, a degree that satisfies the requirements of 8C.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.

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).

• 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 are not temporary, such as interns. Temporary employees are eligible for paid sick time, as required under applicable state law, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Please note some of the above benefits may not apply to workers in Puerto Rico. Further details are available at the link below: Medtronic benefits and compensation plans

It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

For sales reps and other patient facing field employees, going into a healthcare settingis considered an essential function of the job and we expect our employees to comply with all credentialing requirements at the hospitals or clinics they support.

This employer participates in the federal E‑Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E‑Verify program, please click here.

We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 95,000+ passionate people. We are engineers at heart— putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary. We change lives. Each team member, each day, helps to improve and redefine how the world treats the most pressing health conditions, from heart disease to diabetes. Our industry leadership comes from the passion and ingenuity of our people. That’s who we are. Working alongside one another, we use science, medicine, and a profound understanding of the human body to build extraordinary technologies that can transform lives. We build extraordinary solutions as one team. With one Medtronic Mindset defining how we work. Speed and decisiveness run through our DNA. Diverse perspectives inspire our bold answers to any challenge that comes our way. And we deliver results the right way, breakthrough after patient breakthrough. This life‑changing career is yours to engineer.

By bringing your ambitious ideas, unique perspective and contributions, you will… Build a better future, amplifying your impact on the causes that matter to you and the world Grow a career reflective of your passion and abilities Connect to a dynamic and inclusive culture that welcomes the challenge of life‑long learning

These commitments set our team apart from the rest: Experiences that put people first. Respect for people is the hallmark of our humanity. It fuels our team to positively impact even a single life. And it means we put our people first at Medtronic as well, creating a culture of belonging and always pushing to get you the career‑building resources you need. Life‑transforming technologies. No matter your role, you contribute to technologies that transform lives. What we build empowers patients to live life on their terms. Better outcomes for our world. Here, it’s about more than the bottom line. Our Mission to improve human welfare drives us. We advance healthcare, society, and equity with every design, inside and outside our walls. Insight-driven care. Fresh viewpoints. Cutting‑edge AI, data, and automation. You're shaping the future of healthcare technology and defining the next generation of breakthroughs in care

It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 95,000+ passionate people. We are engineers at heart— putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary. We change lives. Each team member, each day, helps to improve and redefine how the world treats the most pressing health conditions, from heart disease to diabetes. Our industry leadership comes from the passion and ingenuity of our people. That’s who we are. Working alongside one another, we use science, medicine, and a profound understanding of the human body to build extraordinary technologies that can transform lives. We build extraordinary solutions as one team. With one Medtronic Mindset defining how we work. Speed and decisiveness run through our DNA. Diverse perspectives inspire our bold answers to any challenge that comes our way. And we deliver results the right way, breakthrough after patient breakthrough. This life‑changing career is yours to engineer.