Principal Equipment Design Engineer

Medtronic; Lafayette (CO); On-site; USD 124,000 - 186,000; Full time

Job summary

Medtronic’s Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (AME) team seeks a Principal Equipment Design Engineer to lead the design and implementation of manufacturing equipment for medical devices. You will develop 3D CAD models in SolidWorks, support qualification, and collaborate across disciplines to ensure performance, safety, and regulatory readiness.

The role emphasizes design reviews, documentation discipline, and cross-functional leadership to drive projects from concept to release while mentoring

Qualifications

• :
• Requires a Baccalaureate degree and minimum of 7 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience OR PhD with 3 years relevant experience.
• Significant experience in machine design, automation, manufacturing equipment, or capital equipment development.
• Advanced SolidWorks proficiency, including complex assemblies, detailed mechanical drawings, and formal design documentation.
• Strong experience developing accurate, detailed, and controlled engineering documentation in regulated or highly quality-focused environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design and development of custom machines, automation systems, tooling, fixtures, and manufacturing equipment for medical device development and production environments.
• Create and maintain detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, drawings, and bills of materials in SolidWorks with a high level of accuracy, completeness, and revision discipline.
• Support equipment qualification and validation activities.
• Contribute to user requirements, functional specifications, design specifications, risk assessments, and test plans.
• Collaborate across mechanical, electrical, software, controls, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams to develop integrated systems that meet performance, reliability, safety, and compliance requirements.
• Participate in and lead design reviews with a focus on design robustness, manufacturability, maintainability, risk mitigation, validation support, and readiness for release.
• Support equipment FAT, SAT, commissioning, troubleshooting, and post-installation performance investigations.
• Perform engineering analyses such as tolerance stack-ups, failure analysis, root cause investigations, and design for manufacturability/assembly assessments.
• Manage project scope, schedules, technical deliverables, risks, and stakeholder communication for machine design projects from concept through release.
• Mentor engineers and promote best practices in design controls, documentation discipline, validation support, and cross-functional execution.

Skills

Machine design

Automation

Capital equipment

Engineering documentation

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Baccalaureate degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 30 Sep 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 Life

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 onsite 4 days a week as part of our commitment to fostering a culture of professional growth and cross-functional collaboration as we work together to engineer the extraordinary.

The Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (AME) team is seeking a Principal Equipment Design Engineer to lead the design, development, and implementation of manufacturing equipment, fixtures, tooling, and automation systems used in a regulated medical device environment. This role requires deep expertise in mechanical design, advanced SolidWorks capability, engineering documentation, and strong cross-functional leadership.

Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.

• Lead the mechanical design and development of custom machines, automation systems, tooling, fixtures, and manufacturing equipment for medical device development and production environments.
• Create and maintain detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, drawings, and bills of materials in SolidWorks with a high level of accuracy, completeness, and revision discipline.
• Support equipment qualification and validation activities.
• Contribute to user requirements, functional specifications, design specifications, risk assessments, and test plans.
• Collaborate across mechanical, electrical, software, controls, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams to develop integrated systems that meet performance, reliability, safety, and compliance requirements.
• Participate in and lead design reviews with a focus on design robustness, manufacturability, maintainability, risk mitigation, validation support, and readiness for release.
• Support equipment FAT, SAT, commissioning, troubleshooting, and post-installation performance investigations.
• Perform engineering analyses such as tolerance stack-ups, failure analysis, root cause investigations, and design for manufacturability/assembly assessments.
• Manage project scope, schedules, technical deliverables, risks, and stakeholder communication for machine design projects from concept through release.
• Mentor engineers and promote best practices in design controls, documentation discipline, validation support, and cross-functional execution.

Required Knowledge and Experience

• Requires a Baccalaureate degree and minimum of 7 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience OR PhD with 3 years relevant experience.
• Significant experience in machine design, automation, manufacturing equipment, or capital equipment development.
• Advanced SolidWorks proficiency, including complex assemblies, detailed mechanical drawings, and formal design documentation.
• Strong experience developing accurate, detailed, and controlled engineering documentation in regulated or highly quality-focused environments.

Preferred Skills (Nice to Have)

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.
• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical design principles, GD&T, tolerance analysis, material selection, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with automation systems, robotics, motion control, pneumatics, vision systems, or mechatronics.
• Working knowledge of PDM/PLM systems, FEA, and structured engineering change processes.
• Direct experience in medical device manufacturing equipment design and validation.
• Experience with equipment qualification documentation, including IQ/OQ/PQ protocols, test methods, and validation summary support.
• Experience working in cross-functional teams with Quality, Validation, Manufacturing, Controls, and Operations.
• Strong working knowledge of document control, change control, and traceability expectations in regulated development or manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects and manage timelines, risks, and deliverables.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with exceptional attention to detail.

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.

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):$124,000.00 - $186,000.00

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).

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to those regular employees who work 20+ hours per week:

• 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
• 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)
• 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.

If you are applying to perform work for Medtronic, Inc. (“Medtronic”) in any position which will involve performing at least two (2) hours of work on average each week within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, you can find here a list of all material job duties of the specific job position which Medtronic reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. Medtronic will consider for employment qualified job applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.