Principal Packaging Engineer

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 15 May 2026

Help engineer packaging solutions that protect patients and power surgical care worldwide.

In this role, you’ll lead the research, development, and design of advanced packaging systems for new and existing medical devices, with a primary focus on steam sterilization cases and trays. Your work will directly support life saving technologies by ensuring packaging solutions that are robust, compliant, efficient, and intuitive for end users in the operating room.

You’ll serve as a packaging subject matter expert, influencing decisions from early concept through manufacturing scale up, while partnering closely with teams across R&D, Operations, Quality/Regulatory, Labeling, Tooling/Automation, Sourcing, Marketing, and surgical end users. Together, you’ll deliver innovative, best in class packaging solutions aligned with Medtronic’s strategic goals.

You’ll also play a key role in advancing global packaging excellence, driving long term manufacturing efficiency, quality, and regulatory compliance across multiple sites.

While this role is primarily focused on steam sterilization sets (cases and trays), it may also include opportunities to contribute to sterile and non sterile packaging development, offering variety and technical breadth.

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.

• Lead thedesign, development, and testingof packaging systems and containers used to protect, handle, and present medical devices

• Define packaging specifications based on product needs, cost, regulatory requirements, and environmental risks such as moisture, temperature, corrosion, handling, and tampering

• Design package exteriors with consideration for usability, identification, aesthetics, printing, and manufacturability

• Collaborate cross‑functionally with R&D, Quality/Regulatory, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Marketing, and surgical staff to capture functional requirements and real‑world workflows

• Apply working knowledge of FDA, OUS regulations, ISO, and ASTM standards related to medical device packaging and labeling

• Manage or contribute to GMP documentation, Design History Files (DHFs), and change control activities

• Support prototype builds and production line development in manufacturing facilities as needed

• Bachelor’s Degree and 7+ years of Packaging Engineering experience OR Master’s Degree and 5+ years of experience OR PhD and 3+ years of experience

• Experience with and passion for Cases and Trays designed for Steam Sterilization

• Demonstrated mastery of core engineering principles and high-level CAD skills

• Degree in Packaging Science, Mechanical Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering

• Experience working in medical device or pharmaceutical industry

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.

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…