Principal Control & Automation Engineer

Medtronic


Job Location:

Grand Rapids, MI - USA

Monthly Salary: $ 152800 - 229200
Posted on: 30+ days ago
Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 18 Jul 2026


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 95000 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

At Medtronic we bring bold ideas forward with speed and decisiveness to put patients first in everything we -person exchanges are invaluable to our work. Were working onsite 4 days a week as part of our commitment to fostering a culture of professional growth and cross-functional collaboration as we work together to engineer the extraordinary. The person in this role will work from the Medtronic facility located in Dexter Michigan.

This role will require 20% of travel to Grand Rapids MI to enhance collaboration and ensure successful completion of projects.

The Principal Controls & Automation Engineer is a senior technical leader responsible for driving automation strategy and execution across the Dexter and Grand Rapids Michigan manufacturing sites. This role focuses on PLCbased controls engineering industrial automation systems robotics integration and equipment validation within a regulated manufacturing environment. The position will play a key role in transitioning manual processes to automated solutions strengthening controls architecture standards ensuring robust system validation and representing Medtronics technical and quality expectations with vendors and internal stakeholders.

We believe that when people from different cultures genders and points of view come together innovation is the result and everyone wins. Medtronic walks the walk creating an inclusive culture where you can thrive. Our unwavering commitment to inclusion diversity and equity (ID&E) means zero barriers to opportunity within Medtronic and a culture where all employees belong are respected and feel valued for who they are and the life experiences they contribute. We know equity starts beyond our workplace and we must play a role in addressing systemic inequities in our communications to achieve long-term sustainable impact. Anchored in our Mission we continue to drive ID&E forward both to enhance the well-being of Medtronic employees and to accelerate innovation that brings our lifesaving technologies to more people in more places around the world.

Bring your talents to an industry leader in medical technology and healthcare solutions were a market leader and growing every day. You can be proud to be a part of technologies that are rooted in our long history of mission-driven innovation. You will be empowered to shape your own career. We encourage and support your growth with the training mentorship and guidance you need to own your future success. Together we can transform healthcare. Join us for a career that changes lives.

CAREERS THAT CHANGE LIVES

  • Lead automation initiatives from concept through design FAT/SAT validation and production deployment.

  • Architect program and maintain PLCbased automation systems using industrystandard controls platforms.

  • Develop and standardize controls architectures for automated manufacturing equipment.

  • Integrate industrial robots with PLC control systems including communication protocols safety interlocks and motion coordination.

  • Troubleshoot and optimize automation equipment to improve uptime throughput reliability and product quality.

  • Support equipment commissioning system debugging and startup activities for new and modified automation systems.

  • Execute equipment validation activities (IQ/OQ/PQ) and ensure automation systems meet regulatory and quality requirements.

  • Collaborate with manufacturing engineering quality and operations teams to deploy scalable automation solutions.

  • Provide technical oversight and hold vendors accountable for controls design programming quality and project execution.

  • Identify opportunities to automate manual manufacturing processes and improve production efficiency.

MUST HAVE (Minimum Qualifications)

  • 7 yearsof experience with a bachelors degree or 5 years of experience with an advanced degree

NICE TO HAVE (Preferred Qualifications)

  • Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting experience (ladder logic structured text or similar controls languages).

  • Handson controls engineering experience in automated manufacturing environments.

  • Experience integrating robotics and automated equipment within production lines.

  • Background in equipment commissioning controls debugging and production support.

  • Experience supporting validation and regulated manufacturing environments.

  • Vendor coordination or technical leadership experience in automation projects.

  • Automation development equipment design or deployment experience in medical device or comparable industries (automotive aerospace defense etc.)

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 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 @ 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 .

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.

Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$152800.00 - $229200.00

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 insuranceHealth Savings AccountHealthcare Flexible Spending AccountLife insurance Long-term disability leaveDependent daycare spending accountTuition assistance/reimbursement andSimple 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 matchShort-term disabilityPaid time offPaid holidaysEmployee Stock Purchase PlanEmployee Assistance ProgramNon-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums) andCapital 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 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 findhere 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.


Required Experience:

Staff IC

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 18 Jul 2026Careers 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 95000 employees work across more than 150 countries to put...

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About Medtronic Together, we can change healthcare worldwide. At Medtronic, we push the limits of what technology can do to help alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. We challenge ourselves and each other to make tomorrow better than yesterday. It is what makes this an excit ... View more

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