Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

USA-MiniMed Distribution Corp. 1018; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 109,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible benefits package

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

MiniMed seeks a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer in San Diego to lead development of electromechanical medical devices. You will drive design, verification, and transfer to contract manufacturers within a fast-paced hardware R&D environment.

Key experience includes SolidWorks, design controls, and strong multidisciplinary collaboration to meet timelines and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum degree with years of experience as stated.
• Experience in medical devices and design controls desirable.
• Strong CAD, DFM and manufacturing knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of electromechanical medical device products.
• Plan, design, verify, validate mechanical systems and components.
• Collaborate with QA, Regulatory, Ops, and cross-functional teams.
• Transfer designs to contract manufacturers and support process development.
• Assess manufacturability, cost, and safety considerations.

Skills

SolidWorks

GD&T

FEA

Mechanical product development

Medical device development processes

Design transfer to contract manuf.

CAD proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree (7+ yrs experience)

Master's degree (5+ yrs exp)

Tools

Agile

EDMS (Agile)

Job description

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 30 Oct 2026

At MiniMed, you can begin a lifelong career of exploration and innovation, while helping make a difference in the lives of people living with diabetes around the globe. You'll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation for a more connected, compassionate world.

About the Role

MiniMed is looking for a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer for our San Diego office. The Principal Mechanical Design Engineer is responsible for leading the development of new electromechanical medical device products and supporting associated process development and design transfer to a contract manufacturer. This role operates within a dynamic Hardware R&D environment and collaborates closely with Quality, Operations, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, and other cross‑functional teams to advance projects in alignment with established objectives and timelines.

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

• Researching, planning, designing, verifying, validating, and developing mechanical and electromechanical products and systems
• Strong expertise in mechanical product development, including plastic part design, injection molding, design verification and validation, and design for manufacturing. systems.
• Experience with design controls, risk analysis, and medical device development processes is highly desirable, along with knowledge of manufacturing methods, assembly, automation, and applicable statistical techniques.
• Identifying and recommending technology and process improvements to enhance safety, performance, efficiency, and cost; and supporting the successful transfer of products from R&D into manufacturing.
• Demonstrate proficiency with CAD tools such as SolidWorks, experience working within Medical Device Quality Management Systems and EDMS platforms such as Agile, and the ability to design and evaluate complex, compact electromechanical systems.
• Strong technical communication skills, sound judgment, accountability for results, and the ability to interpret complex data and manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Practical experience in process development and a thorough understanding of manufacturability and product realization are important to success in this position.

Must Have: Minimum Requirements

To be considered for this role, please ensure the minimum requirements are evident on your resume.

• Bachelor's degree with 7 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience

#BetterDaysStartNow

Nice to Have:

• Experience within the medical device industry
• Mastery of 3D CAD (SolidWorks) and GD&T.
• Proven track record leading complex design projects and mentoring engineers.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Broad knowledge of manufacturing processes (injection molding, machining, 3D printing, automated assembly).
• Deep knowledge of regulatory standards (FDA, ISO 13485) and risk management (FMEA, hazard analysis).
• Experience designing components for diabetes devices (insulin pumps, CGMs, infusion sets) or similar wearable/implantable medical devices.
• Advanced skills in tolerance analysis, predictive modeling, and GD&T.
• Demonstrated success in launching products into high‑volume manufacturing.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
• Experience with Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

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.

Benefits & Compensation

MiniMed offers a competitive salary and flexible benefits package

At MiniMed, we put people first. A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values: We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help create. We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every stage of your career and life.

• Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$109,000.00 - $185,000.00
• For roles located in California, Seattle WA, Washington DC, Boston MA, and New York City, the salary range is $ 121,000.00 - $205 ,000.00 USD.