Principal Industrial Engineer - Plymouth, MN
About The Position
The Principal Industrial Engineer will play a critical leadership role at Medtronic’s Nathan Lane Manufacturing site in Plymouth, Minnesota—a highly integrated, fast‑paced operation supporting the manufacture of life‑saving medical devices. This site is known for its complex, high‑volume manufacturing, advanced automation, and strong focus on quality and compliance within a regulated environment. As a senior technical leader, this role partners closely with operations, quality, engineering, and supply chain to drive manufacturing excellence, scalability, and sustained operational performance. In this role, the Principal IE will lead end‑to‑end industrial engineering strategy, applying deep expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, and systems thinking to solve complex manufacturing challenges. The position is expected to influence across functions and levels, setting standards for capacity planning, labor optimization, line design, and continuous improvement while mentoring other engineers. The ideal candidate thrives in a dynamic, high‑expectation environment, brings a strong change‑leadership mindset, and is motivated by Medtronic’s mission to improve lives through innovation, efficiency, and operational discipline. 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 5 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.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with a minimum of 8 years relevant experience OR PhD with 6 years relevant experience.
- 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.
Nice To Haves
- Lean / Six Sigma expertise with experience in regulated, high-volume manufacturing (medical device preferred)
- Experience supporting site‑level and/or enterprise wide transformation initiatives
- Strong expertise in process mapping, root‑cause analysis, performance measurement, and data driven problem solving
- Experience supporting new product introductions (NPI), site expansions, and major operational transformations
- Demonstrated ability to deliver training, facilitate workshops, and coach leaders and teams
- Strong cross‑functional influence and technical leadership capabilities
- Previous Medtronic experience, including hands-on application of Lean, Six Sigma, or the Medtronic Performance System, preferred
Responsibilities
- Lead enterprise aligned process improvement initiatives delivering measurable gains in safety, quality, delivery, and cost
- Provide technical and thought leadership in Lean, Six Sigma, and process reengineering
- Serve as a change leader, applying structured change management to drive adoption and sustain results
- Lead and facilitate cross‑functional teams to execute end-to-end improvement projects
- Analyze and design manufacturing workflows, operations, and layouts to maximize efficiency and utilization
- Perform cost‑benefit analyses and ensure value realization from improvement initiatives
- Communicate progress, risks, and outcomes to site leadership and key stakeholders
- Develop organizational capability through training, coaching, and best practice deployment
Benefits
- 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)
- 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)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
