Staff Systems Engineer

Abbott Laboratories; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 99,000 - 199,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition assistance

Health and wellness benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Abbott Neuromodulation in Plano, Texas seeks a Staff Systems Engineer to lead architecture and requirements for complex implantable platforms. This senior IC will translate clinical and business needs into robust system solutions across hardware, firmware, software, and mechanics.

The successful candidate will guide cross‑disciplinary teams, manage risks, and ensure regulatory readiness while delivering safe, high-performing products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in systems, Biomedical, Electrical, Computer, Mechanical, or Software Engineering, or a related engineering or scientific field.
• 8+ years of R&D or product-development experience, including systems engineering, system design, or requirements architecture for complex multidisciplinary products.
• Demonstrated experience defining system architectures, requirements, interfaces, design tradeoffs, and verification strategies.
• Experience guiding cross-functional design alignment across hardware, firmware, software, and clinical disciplines to resolve complex technical issues.
• Strong technical leadership, communication, and influence skills, with the ability to lead without direct authority.
• Experience working in a regulated development environment and applying risk management, design controls, and relevant industry standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead system architecture, design, and requirements strategy for complex neuromodulation products and technology platforms.
• Translate patient, clinician, customer, and business needs into measurable system performance requirements, design inputs, and acceptance criteria.
• Guide system design across electrical hardware, sensing, embedded firmware, algorithms, external software, mechanical interfaces, and multidisciplinary subsystems.
• Define and assess system behaviors, performance budgets, tradeoffs, operating parameters, and failure modes to reduce technical risk and optimize safety, usability, reliability, and product performance.
• Partner with firmware and software teams to shape embedded control, signal-processing, and data-analysis algorithms; establish system-level requirements and verification approaches for those capabilities.
• Lead cross‑functional design reviews, technical investigations, and root‑cause analyses; communicate clear recommendations that resolve complex system issues.
• Guide development and execution of system characterization tests to drive design and requirements, define operating ranges/tolerances, and establish performance budgets.
• Apply risk management, design‑control practices, and industry standards appropriate for regulated medical devices; support design history file documentation, regulatory submissions, and audit readiness.
• Influence platform strategy, technology roadmaps, and engineering practices through sound technical judgment and a whole‑system perspective.
• Mentor engineers and strengthen systems engineering capability through technical leadership, knowledge sharing, and disciplined problem solving.

Skills

Systems engineering

Cross-functional leadership

Regulated development

Architectures & requirements

Risk management

Communication skills

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems/Engineering

Job description

Job Title: Sr. Systems Engineer

WORKING AT 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. At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You will also have access to: Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of. Free medical coverage for employees through the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO. An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution. Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit. A company recognized as a great place to work around the world and among the most admired companies by Fortune.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Abbott Neuromodulation is a market leader in mobile, minimally invasive implantable technologies that help people living with chronic pain and movement disorders. Through advanced embedded systems, sensing technologies, and mobile applications, we develop differentiated therapy ecosystems that improve patient outcomes. Our Plano, Texas site has an opportunity for a Staff Systems Engineer. This senior individual contributor will lead systems engineering, architecture, and requirements definition for complex active implantable medical-device platforms. The role translates clinical, user, and business needs into robust, verifiable system solutions and guides system design across electrical hardware, embedded firmware, algorithms, software, mechanical interfaces, and human factors to deliver safe, high-performing products. The successful candidate is a hands‑on systems design engineer and technical leader who is comfortable resolving ambiguous, cross‑disciplinary problems; making sound design tradeoffs; and guiding product development from early concept through commercialization. This is a non‑supervisory role.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead system architecture, design, and requirements strategy for complex neuromodulation products and technology platforms.
• Translate patient, clinician, customer, and business needs into measurable system performance requirements, design inputs, and acceptance criteria.
• Guide system design across electrical hardware, sensing, embedded firmware, algorithms, external software, mechanical interfaces, and multidisciplinary subsystems.
• Define and assess system behaviors, performance budgets, tradeoffs, operating parameters, and failure modes to reduce technical risk and optimize safety, usability, reliability, and product performance.
• Partner with firmware and software teams to shape embedded control, signal-processing, and data-analysis algorithms; establish system-level requirements and verification approaches for those capabilities.
• Lead cross‑functional design reviews, technical investigations, and root‑cause analyses; communicate clear recommendations that resolve complex system issues.
• Guide development and execution of system characterization tests to drive design and requirements, define operating ranges/tolerances, and establish performance budgets.
• Apply risk management, design‑control practices, and industry standards appropriate for regulated medical devices; support design history file documentation, regulatory submissions, and audit readiness.
• Influence platform strategy, technology roadmaps, and engineering practices through sound technical judgment and a whole‑system perspective.
• Mentor engineers and strengthen systems engineering capability through technical leadership, knowledge sharing, and disciplined problem solving.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in systems, Biomedical, Electrical, Computer, Mechanical, or Software Engineering, or a related engineering or scientific field.
• 8+ years of relevant R&D or product‑development experience, including systems engineering, system design, or requirements architecture for complex multidisciplinary products.
• Demonstrated experience defining system architectures, requirements, interfaces, design tradeoffs, and verification strategies.
• Experience guiding cross‑functional design alignment across hardware, firmware, software, and clinical disciplines to resolve complex technical issues.
• Strong technical leadership, communication, and influence skills, with the ability to lead without direct authority.
• Experience working in a regulated development environment and applying risk management, design controls, and relevant industry standards.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in biomedical, electrical, computer, systems engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience with Class II or Class III medical devices, particularly active implantable devices, neuromodulation, cardiac rhythm management, or other electro-mechanical therapy systems.
• Hands‑on system design experience spanning embedded firmware, electrical or mixed‑signal hardware, sensors, and algorithms such as signal processing, control, estimation, or data analysis.
• Experience designing, characterizing, or validating sensing, stimulation, neural-interface, motor‑control, battery‑powered, wireless, or other safety‑critical embedded systems.
• Experience using systems modeling or requirements‑management tools and applying Model-Based Systems Engineering or INCOSE-aligned practices.
• Experience with medical-device standards (e.g., ISO 14971, IEC 60601, ISO 14708) and regulatory submission support.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Training and career development, including onboarding programs and tuition assistance.
• Competitive compensation, incentives, and retirement plans.
• Health care and well‑being programs, including medical, dental, vision, wellness, and occupational health programs.
• Paid time off and a 401(k)-retirement savings plan with a generous company match.

The base pay for this position is $99,300.00 - $198,700.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: www.abbottbenefits.com

JOB FAMILY

Product Development

DIVISION

NM Neuromodulation

LOCATION

United States > Texas > Plano : 6901 Preston Road

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS

Not specified

WORK SHIFT

Standard

TRAVEL

Not specified

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE

Not Applicable

SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES

• Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Keyboard use (greater or equal to 50% of the workday)

Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.

EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdf

EEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf

Abbott is about the power of health. For more than 135 years, Abbott has been helping people reach their potential - because better health allows people and communities to achieve more. With a diverse, global network serving customers in more than 160 countries, we create new solutions - across the spectrum of health, around the world, for all stages of life. Whether it's next-generation diagnostics, life-changing devices, science-based nutrition, or novel reformulations, we are advancing some of the most innovative and revolutionary technologies in healthcare, helping people live their best lives through better health.

The people of Abbott come to work each day with relentless energy, enthusiasm and a promise to enhance the health and well‑being of millions of people. They push the boundaries to help manage and treat some of life's greatest health challenges.

We invite you to explore opportunities at Abbott, to see if your talents and career aspirations may fit with our openings.

Abbott welcomes and encourages diversity in our workforce.

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