Senior Automation Engineer

Medtronic • Fridley, MN

8d • Onsite

About The Position

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 9 Feb 2026 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 Our Operational Technology & Digitalization team is looking for a Senior Automation Engineer to support Medtronic Operations. In this role, you will work on automated equipment controllers to coordinate the interaction between equipment and operator as well as collect manufacturing traceability and engineering data for Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and Statical Process Control (SPC). You will be expected to play an active role in working with Manufacturing Operations and Process Engineering teams in gathering user requirements and workflow sequent for integrating process equipment and other manufacturing hardware (such as 2D camera/reader, conveyor, onloader/offloader) with OEE and SPC systems. 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. This position will be based in Rice Creek and include up to 25% travel (primarily domestic).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and 4+ years of Automation Engineering experience in a manufacturing environment OR Master’s Degree and 2+ years of experience OR PhD

Nice To Haves

• Software: PLC Software, Python, PL/SQL (Oracle, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, Snowflake), C#, ETL, MQTT, REST/SOAP API, JavaScript, ASP.NET
• Technical Expertise: Proficient in SCADA software (Ignition), SPC systems (Camline SPACE, Advantive InfinityQS), MES platforms (FACTORYworks, Critical Manufacturing), Linux/Unix OS, and web services programming (WCF, Rest, gRPC). Skilled in industry-standard protocols like SECS/GEM, OPC, and CAMX.
• Automation & Manufacturing Experience: Strong background in troubleshooting automated equipment, PLCs, machine vision, and integration of Industry 4.0 technologies (real-time sensors, AI/ML, digital twin). Experienced in lean manufacturing and medical device production.
• Project & Process Management: Solid understanding of SDLC, Agile practices, and all phases of development (design, coding, testing, validation, deployment, and support). Skilled in organizing machine upgrades, LAN installations, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Work with process and equipment engineers to integrate new and/or existing equipment with OEE and SPC systems
• Work with Operations team to define workstation workflow for automated equipment controller utilizing standard work principles
• Participate and collaborate in cross-functional teams including QA, product/process engineering and Operations users for gathering requirements and defining project scope for automation solutions supporting manufacturing and engineering
• Create work breakdown structure (WBS) as inputs for project plan, schedule, budget, risks, and deliverables
• Develop automation software solutions by consulting with end-users, developing systems requirements, understanding usage and work processes, and following the software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Meet with operations and engineering users, often on the production floor, to build business requirements and use-cases
• Create highly visual documentation (flowcharts, process maps, sequence diagrams) to help all stakeholders reach a common understanding
• Develop software in close communication with end users
• Develop software follows the established solution architecture and principles
• Document system requirements and design, create system test plan and test cases; execute test cases and document test results to support software validation activities
• Work with other team members, QA and process SMEs to assess risk during three project phases; project initiation, pre-validation test assessment and post-validation test assessment
• Communicate status updates to key stakeholders
• Candidate must be capable of recognizing factors that could negatively affect project timelines / deliverables and effectively communicate impact to direct manage
• Analyze production/manufacturing problems/issues related to equipment or automation software and determining root cause
• Proactively and reactively resolve day-to-day production issues
• Provide technical engineering support for 24x7 Manufacturing Operations

Benefits

• Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package
• 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