Principal System Tech Lead- Hardware and Embedded Systems

Medtronic • Lafayette, CO

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world. A Day in the Life Principal System Tech Lead- Hardware and Embedded Systems System Tech Lead Team This position is within the Oximetry & Wearables Group in Medtronic’s Acute Care & Monitoring (ACM) business, developing patient monitoring systems and sensors used in hospital and acute care environments worldwide. The role supports a hybrid work model with on-site collaboration at Medtronic’s Lafayette, Colorado location. The System Technical Lead Team provides systems-level technical leadership for complex oximetry technologies, guiding architecture decisions and technical risk across multidisciplinary product development teams. This particular program spans custom silicon (ASIC), embedded firmware, signal processing algorithms, and device software. Candidates with deep experience in any one of these domains and the drive to become fluent across the others will thrive here. A Day in the Life You will be a key member of our product development team, leading a high-performing group of engineers as they create innovative medical technologies that meet demanding clinical, usability, and regulatory needs. You will define and communicate the technical strategy, ensure the team is focused on the right work at the right time, and drive progress toward critical milestones and decision points. This role requires both strategic thinking and hands-on leadership. You will guide architectural discussions, maintain expert knowledge of the product and its clinical applications, and provide the technical oversight needed to develop safe, effective, and commercially successful products. You will collaborate closely with clinical, technical sourcing, marketing, systems engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, and project management partners to define product vision, translate insights into actionable plans, and provide clear visibility into progress, risk, and long-term direction. You will help the team understand what is required to make informed decisions, own those decisions at key moments, and ensure risks and gaps are captured and managed. You will also mentor engineers, build strong technical team culture, foster cross-functional alignment, and contribute to continuous improvement across both process and product.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical engineering, Software Engineering, or related technical field and a minimum of 7 years of engineering experience OR Master’s degree with 5 years of experience
• Experience leading or mentoring technical teams.
• Experience in risk-based decision-making with incomplete information.
• Experience with risk management and structured design processes.
• Demonstrated ability to guide technical strategy, define architectural direction, and influence product decisions.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate cross-functionally.
• Deep technical experience in at least one of the following domains: analog or ASIC hardware, embedded firmware, signal processing or physiological algorithms, or device software
• Experience developing products within a regulated industry (medical device preferred).

Nice To Haves

• Strong understanding of medical device development processes, including design controls.
• Prior experience as a technical lead or project lead.
• Experience in complex system development spanning mechanical, electrical, software, and clinical domains.
• Demonstrated ability to imagine and develop innovative product concepts and connect technology capabilities to market and clinical needs.
• Knowledge of verification & validation best practices.
• Exposure to clinical environments or collaboration with clinical partners, with an understanding of patient conditions and clinical use of monitoring technologies.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Leadership of Technical Strategy & Program Execution Lead complex development programs with cross-functional teams, delegating and supervising activities to achieve project objectives and deliver high-quality products.
• Set and communicate the technical strategy, ensuring alignment with program goals and long-term business needs.
• Own key milestone and decision-point preparation, including synthesis of data, risk evaluation, and clear articulation of remaining risks.
• System Architecture & Technical Rigor Maintain expert knowledge of products and their clinical applications; apply this expertise to guide system-level design, product definition, and cross-functional decision-making.
• Lead architectural discussions to conceptualize, design, and develop products that meet clinical performance, workflow, and user needs, integrating perspectives from multiple engineering and clinical domains.
• Guide architecture and integration decisions spanning custom ASIC/mixed-signal hardware, embedded firmware, signal processing algorithms, and device software; understand the tradeoffs across these layers and ensure they are resolved at the system level rather than within individual subsystems.
• Provide technical oversight to ensure rigorous execution—challenging assumptions, reviewing design outputs, and balancing depth of work with program timeline needs.
• Recognize when work is at an acceptable risk level, document gaps in a risk log, and define plans to close them.
• Ensure comprehensive product documentation, including verification and validation planning and system test development.
• Team Leadership, Mentorship & Culture Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team; foster an environment of collaboration, accountability, and engagement.
• Delegate tasks based on team members’ strengths, growth needs, and project priorities.
• Share technical expertise generously; promote organizational learning, engineering excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Provide productive feedback and help the team build confidence and alignment around the plan and vision.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including clinical partners, program management, operations, and design quality.
• Develop compelling and clear communication—visual, verbal, and written—that allows technical and non-technical audiences to understand status, risks, strategy, and path forward.
• Provide transparent, structured reporting that gives leadership visibility into progress, roadblocks, and long-term strategy.
• Regulatory & Process Excellence Apply deep understanding of the medical device product development lifecycle, including FDA design controls and phase-gate processes.
• Ensure that development activities comply with relevant standards, quality system requirements, and risk management practices.

Benefits

• 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.
• 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).
• 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).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees