Principal Packaging Engineer

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 2 Oct 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 95,000 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 The Packaging & Labeling Engineering function is responsible for the development, validation, commercialization, and continuous improvement of medical device packaging systems. The team partners with research and development, operations, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, and supply chain organizations to deliver packaging solutions that protect product integrity, support patient safety, and meet global regulatory requirements. Packaging Engineering plays a critical role in advancing packaging technologies, developing technical standards, and driving innovation across the product portfolio. This position is based in Irvine, CA. The role follows a hybrid work arrangement with an on-site presence expected four days per week and one remote workday per week. Some travel may be required. The Principal Packaging Engineer serves as a technical leader within the Packaging & Labeling Engineering organization, driving innovation, strategy, and execution across packaging development initiatives. This role provides advanced technical expertise throughout the product lifecycle, from concept generation through commercialization, while influencing cross-functional teams, establishing best practices, and leading complex packaging and labeling programs. The position serves as a subject matter expert in packaging technologies, materials, processes, and regulatory requirements, helping shape the future direction of packaging engineering capabilities. Primary Responsibilities Provide technical leadership for packaging and labeling innovation initiatives across product development, manufacturing, and operational improvement programs. Lead the design, development, analysis, validation, and commercialization of medical device packaging systems, components, and assemblies. Establish and execute technical strategies, standards, and best practices that align packaging engineering capabilities with business objectives . Serve as a subject matter expert on cross-functional and cross-divisional teams, providing guidance on packaging design, technology selection , materials, and manufacturing processes. Lead material evaluation, sourcing, testing, qualification, and implementation activities to support new products and continuous improvement initiatives. Develop and review technical documentation, including design requirements, specifications, validation plans, protocols, reports, and quality system deliverables. Drive investigation, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement activities to improve packaging performance, reliability, and compliance. Mentor, coach, and provide technical guidance to packaging engineers while fostering knowledge sharing and engineering excellence across the organization. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Science and 8+ years of packaging engineering, product development engineering, research and development, or related engineering experience. Experience leading complex packaging development projects from concept through commercialization within a regulated manufacturing environment. Experience developing packaging validation strategies, technical documentation, design requirements, and quality system deliverables. Demonstrated expertise in packaging materials, packaging technologies, manufacturing processes, and product development methodologies. Experience leading technical initiatives and influencing cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority. Preferred Qualifications Master's degree in Packaging Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Experience in medical device packaging, biomedical materials, sterilization processes, and medical packaging design practices. Knowledge of Food and Drug Administration (FDA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and medical device packaging validation requirements. Proven track record leading large-scale technical initiatives, engineering strategy development, and cross-functional innovation programs. Experience mentoring engineers, establishing technical standards, and driving adoption of engineering best practices across an organization. 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 wi