Principal Materials Engineer - Polymer Shaping and Molding

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 29 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 Manufacturing Innovation & Technology (MIT) team within Medtronic’s Operations Innovation organization develops and advances manufacturing technologies that support product development, industrialization, and global manufacturing. As part of the integrated Center of Excellence (iCOE) Polymer Shaping & Molding (PSM) team, this role focuses on polymer molding, micro-molding, additive polymer manufacturing, and emerging material technologies to improve manufacturing capability and readiness across the enterprise. This position may be based in Minneapolis, Minnesota or Fridley, Minnesota and follows an onsite work model, with employees working onsite four days per week. Up to 25% travel is required to support collaboration with manufacturing sites, suppliers, academic partners, and external development organizations. Principal Materials Engineer - Polymer Shaping and Molding, will support the development, evaluation, and implementation of polymer materials and manufacturing technologies within the Polymer Shaping & Molding Center of Excellence. This role combines hands-on technology development with technical consultation to advance manufacturing readiness, evaluate emerging materials and processes, and support integration of new technologies into product development and manufacturing environments. Primary Responsibilities Lead feasibility, readiness, and technology development activities for polymer molding, micro-molding, additive manufacturing, and related shaping technologies. Evaluate and qualify new polymer materials, additives, tooling approaches, and forming techniques for manufacturing applications. Apply materials science, chemistry, and physics principles to develop material specifications, processing parameters, and manufacturing solutions. Partner with suppliers, contract manufacturers, academic institutions, and technology developers to mature materials and manufacturing processes. Provide technical consultation to new product development, new product integration, and manufacturing teams on established materials and processing technologies. Conduct material characterization, failure analysis, life prediction assessments, and technical investigations to support product and process performance. Analyze experimental and manufacturing data and communicate findings through technical reports and recommendations. Review and support approval of external material processing procedures and manufacturing practices when applicable. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree with 5+ years of relevant experience OR PhD with 3+ years of relevant experience. Experience in polymer materials engineering and manufacturing process development. Experience with polymer molding, micro-molding, additive manufacturing, dip molding, or related polymer processing technologies. Experience analyzing technical data and documenting results in technical reports. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering. Experience in medical device manufacturing or product development. Experience collaborating with global stakeholders, suppliers, academic institutions, or contract manufacturers. Experience supporting manufacturing technology transfer, industrialization, or new product introduction activities. 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 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. ‌ 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 @medtronic.com 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 AskHR@medtronic.com . ‌ 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 desi