Prin Electrical Engineer
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
Job Description – Principal Electrical Engineer
Released Product Engineering (RPE) – Surgical Hardware Medtronic | Lafayette, CO
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 a minimum of 4 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.
As a Principal Electrical Engineer, you will serve as a recognized technical expert and engineering leader within the Released Product Engineering (RPE) organization supporting Medtronic’s Surgical Hardware portfolio. This role is responsible for leading complex electrical engineering activities across sustaining engineering, product enhancements, quality investigations, regulatory compliance, cost optimization, supplier changes, and lifecycle management initiatives.
The successful candidate will possess deep expertise in mixed-signal electronics, system integration, and product development within regulated industries. In addition to electrical engineering leadership, this individual will collaborate closely with mechanical, firmware, software, systems, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, supplier quality, sourcing, and operations teams to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant products throughout their lifecycle.
This role requires a systems-thinking mindset, strong technical problem-solving skills, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams while mentoring engineers and driving engineering excellence across the organization.
Primary Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
Serve as the electrical engineering subject matter expert for complex sustaining engineering, quality, compliance, and product enhancement initiatives.
Lead the design, development, integration, verification, and validation of mixed-signal electrical systems and subsystems used in surgical medical devices.
Define hardware architectures and technical solutions that balance product performance, reliability, manufacturability, compliance, and cost objectives.
Review and approve electrical designs, schematics, test plans, engineering changes, and qualification strategies.
Drive system-level troubleshooting and root cause investigations involving electrical, mechanical, software, and firmware interactions.
Product Lifecycle & Sustaining Engineering
Lead electrical engineering activities supporting released products, including:
Design changes and engineering change orders (ECOs)
Obsolescence management
Supplier-driven changes
Lifecycle and End-of-Life (EOL) initiatives
Cost reduction and VAVE projects
Manufacturing and field quality improvements
Assess product impacts associated with component, material, and supplier changes and determine requalification requirements.
Support manufacturing and supplier quality teams in resolving production issues and field-related concerns.
Product Quality & Compliance
Ensure designs comply with applicable standards and regulations, including:
IEC 60601-1
IEC 60601-1-2
IEC 60601-2-2
FDA Quality System Requirements
ISO 13485
Risk Management requirements
Lead technical assessments and investigations related to customer complaints, CAPAs, nonconformances, audits, and field performance issues.
Evaluate complaint trends and reliability data to determine if systemic quality issues exist and develop appropriate corrective actions.
Support EMC, electrical safety, environmental, reliability, and performance testing activities.
Design & Development
Perform and oversee:
Circuit design
Schematic capture
PCB layout reviews
Component selection
Design analysis and simulation
System integration
Design verification testing
Develop detailed technical specifications, requirements, test protocols, and engineering documentation.
Ensure hardware designs meet performance, reliability, safety, and manufacturability requirements.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner with Systems Engineering, Software, Firmware, Mechanical, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing Engineering teams.
Work with external test laboratories, suppliers, consultants, and contract manufacturers as required.
Provide technical leadership during cross-functional design reviews, risk reviews, and business decision-making processes.
Innovation & Continuous Improvement
Identify opportunities to improve product performance, reliability, compliance, manufacturability, and cost.
Drive adoption of engineering best practices, tools, and methodologies.
Support platform strategies, design standardization, and technology roadmaps across the Surgical Hardware portfolio.
Contribute to the evaluation and implementation of emerging technologies.
Leadership & Talent Development
Mentor and coach electrical engineers and cross-functional team members.
Lead technical reviews and provide guidance on engineering approaches and problem-solving techniques.
Influence technical direction across multiple projects and product platforms.
Serve as a technical leader for major cross-functional initiatives and strategic engineering projects.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related engineering discipline with 7+ years of relevant experience
OR Master's degree with 5+ years of relevant experience
OR PhD with 3+ years of relevant experience
Required Technical Experience
Experience with all phases of mixed-signal board design, including:
Architecture development
Circuit design
Schematic capture
Component selection
PCB layout and reviews
Design verification
Strong fundamentals in:
Analog and digital circuit design
Signals and systems
Frequency-domain analysis
Power electronics
System integration
Experience with OrCAD schematic capture and PCB design tools.
Hands-on experience using laboratory equipment including:
Oscilloscopes
Multimeters
Logic analyzers
Spectrum analyzers
Network analyzers
Experience designing, testing, and troubleshooting high-voltage systems (up to approximately 5 kV).
Experience working within regulated industries, preferably medical devices.
Knowledge of IEC 60601 family of standards and medical device development processes.
Strong root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving skills.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting released products within a medical device environment.
Experience with EMC and electrical safety testing.
Experience with supplier qualification, supplier-driven changes, and component obsolescence management.
Experience leading VAVE and cost optimization initiatives.
Exposure to systems engineering practices and requirements-driven development.
Experience working in Agile product development environments.
Familiarity with Surgical Hardware or electrosurgical products.
Lean, Six Sigma, or A3 problem-solving experience.
Demonstrated ability to influence technical decisions across organizations.
Differentiating Factors
Autonomy
Recognized technical expert in electrical engineering with broad understanding of system-level interactions involving mechanical, software, and firmware subsystems.
Exercises substantial independent judgment in defining technical approaches and project execution strategies.
Determines deliverables with minimal supervision and serves as a trusted advisor to management.
Organizational Impact
Influences technical direction and engineering strategy across multiple products and programs.
Drives improvements to processes, standards, and operational plans that have significant business impact.
Leads major cross-functional initiatives supporting quality, compliance, manufacturing, and business objectives.
Innovation & Complexity
Solves highly complex and often ambiguous technical problems requiring extensive investigation and systems-level thinking.
Develops innovative and practical solutions balancing technical, regulatory, quality, cost, and schedule considerations.
Manages multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.
Communication & Influence
Serves as a primary technical interface with internal stakeholders, leadership, suppliers, and external partners.
Effectively communicates complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
Influences key technical and business decisions through data-driven recommendations.
Leadership & Talent Development
Provides technical mentoring, coaching, and guidance to engineers across the organization.
Leads technical project teams and oversees execution of major engineering initiatives.
Promotes a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and engineering excellence.
Physical Location: Lafayette, Colorado
Work Model: Minimum 4 days per week onsite
Travel: Up to 10–15% as required to support suppliers, manufacturing sites, testing laboratories, and business needs.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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