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

The Villalba Manufacturing site manufactures medical technologies that support patients worldwide through advanced manufacturing processes and continuous improvement initiatives. The Manufacturing Engineering function partners closely with Operations, Quality, Research & Development, and Supply Chain teams to develop, optimize, validate, and sustain robust manufacturing processes that support safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.

This position is based on site in Villalba, Puerto Rico, requiring close collaboration with manufacturing operations and cross-functional teams. The role serves as a technical leader for laser-based manufacturing technologies, process development, equipment implementation, and operational excellence initiatives to support supplier visits, training, benchmarking activities, and global project collaboration.

         

         

Job Description field

The Principal Manufacturing Engineer provides technical leadership for the development, implementation, optimization, and sustainment of manufacturing processes with a focus on laser technologies. This role leads complex engineering initiatives, supports advanced manufacturing solutions, and drives process performance, compliance, and product quality within a regulated manufacturing environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the development, validation, optimization, and sustainment of laser manufacturing processes and equipment.
• Drive implementation of laser technologies including laser welding, laser cutting, laser marking, and other precision laser applications.
• Develop manufacturing process controls utilizing Statistical Process Control (SPC), Design of Experiments (DOE), and data-driven methodologies.
• Lead equipment qualification, process validation, technology transfer, and continuous improvement projects.
• Evaluate manufacturing equipment performance and implement corrective and preventive actions to improve process capability and product quality.
• Partner with Research & Development, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to develop scalable and compliant manufacturing solutions.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and subject matter expertise for laser processing technologies across the site.
• Ensure manufacturing processes, equipment, and documentation comply with applicable regulatory and quality system requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience OR Master's degree and 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience OR PhD and 3+ years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• Experience with laser-based manufacturing technologies in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience in process validation, equipment qualification, and Statistical Process Control (SPC).
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering projects and process improvement initiatives.
• Experience troubleshooting manufacturing processes and implementing effective corrective actions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or Physics.
• Experience with laser welding, laser cutting, laser marking, laser ablation, or precision laser micromachining.
• Experience in medical device manufacturing.
• Experience in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Design of Experiments (DOE).
• Experience with automation, vision inspection systems, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
• Knowledge and experience on development, maintenance and / or troubleshooting of laser technology applications, including, but not limited to marking, welding, ablation manufacturing processes. Exposure and experience with laser safety for manufacturing applications.
• Knowledge and experience with Resistance solder welding (RSW) technology and manufacturing applications.

 

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.

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Recruitment Fraud Alert

We are aware of phishing scams targeting job seekers. Please keep the following in mind: 

Apply only through official Medtronic channels. All legitimate Medtronic recruiting communications come from approved Medtronic platforms and official @medtronic.com email addresses. 

Medtronic will never ask for payment or sensitive personal information (such as bank account or Social Security details) during early stages of the hiring process. Any such requests are not legitimate. 

If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from Medtronic, do not respond, click links, or open attachments. 

If you have any questions, concerns regarding the authenticity of a communication alleged to have been made by or on behalf of Medtronic, please contact us immediately at AskHR@medtronic.com. 

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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.
 

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This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).

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.