Senior Principal Industrial Engineer, Operational Excellence - Plymouth, MN

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 14 Apr 2026 At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world. A Day in the Life At Medtronic, we are committed to fulfilling our Mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. We are seeking a Sr Principal Industrial Engineering Leader to provide Operational Excellence leadership for our Nathan Lane site. This role is critical to translating strategy into execution by leading cross-functional initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and compliance. This role operates at a site-wide level, overseeing program/project portfolio, leading one or two high-impact programs/projects, and supporting strategic alignment with business priorities and resources. This role is accountable for shaping and managing the continuous improvement project pipeline, assessing value and risk, aligning cross-functional stakeholders, and ensuring disciplined execution in a highly regulated environment. This position requires strong enterprise thinking, influence without authority, and advanced change leadership capabilities. The Nathan Lane site has established strong daily management and continuous improvement practices. 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 5 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.  ​ Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned. Lead strategic manufacturing programs/projects that deliver measurable improvements in quality, efficiency, and compliance for medical devices at the Plymouth Nathan Lane site. Drive cross-functional engagement and accountability, ensuring strong adoption and sustainment of process changes. Champion Lean management principles and continuous improvement initiatives on the manufacturing floor. Provide leadership by mentoring team members and fostering a culture of collaboration and high performance. Communicate effectively with both manufacturing teams and executive leaders, ensuring alignment and clarity across all levels. Take initiative in identifying and implementing opportunities for operational excellence and innovation. Must Have: Minimum Requirements To be considered for this role, please ensure the minimum requirements are evident on your resume. Requires a Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, OR Master's degree with a minimum of 8 years relevant experience, OR PhD with 6 years’ relevant experience. Nice to Have: Experience in medical device manufacturing or other highly regulated industries. Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive results. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, with a focus on practical, hands-on experience. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels. Track record of leading manufacturing programs in environments with established lean management systems. Eagerness to learn, grow, and contribute to a dynamic, high-impact team. #LI-MDT 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 withi ... (truncated, view full listing at source)