Principal Industrial Engineer - Plymouth, MN

About the role

The Principal Industrial Engineer will play a critical leadership role at Medtronic’s Nathan Lane Manufacturing site in Plymouth, Minnesota. This site is known for its complex, high-volume manufacturing, advanced automation, and strong focus on quality and compliance within a regulated environment.

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

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience OR PhD with 3 years relevant experience
• Nice to have: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification preferred, 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

Qualifications

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.

Skills

While not explicitly listed, the ideal candidate should have a strong change-leadership mindset, thrive in a dynamic, high-expectation environment, and be motivated by Medtronic’s mission to improve lives through innovation, efficiency, and operational discipline.

Benefits

Regular employees are eligible for a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage. Salary ranges for U.S. (excl. PR) locations (USD): $119,200.00 - $178,800.00. The position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).