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 Medtronic At Medtronic, we value what makes you unique. Be part of a company that thinks differently to solve problems, make progress, and deliver meaningful innovations. Our Purpose At our Medtronic, plc, R&D (Research & Development) Department in Galway, Ireland, we focus on the development of cutting-edge medical devices in the Coronary, Structural Heart, PVH, Cardiac Rhythm Management and Neuromodulation space. Our R&D Engineers are directly involved in working on the development of innovative products for use in medical procedures. A DAY IN THE LIFE Within our Neuromodulation R&D Department in Galway Ireland, the employee will be part of a team that defines, develops and tests new products for the Pain Interventions business. They will use technical skills in development of innovative minimally invasive therapies that treat musculoskeletal pathologies such as vertebral compression fractures, nerve pain, metastatic and benign bone tumors. As a Principal Materials Engineer they will work in a team environment providing technical leadership in materials science and engineering, including materials selection, problem-solving, and biocompatibility and biostability. This position will support new product development and released product reliability teams in the identification and mitigation of product-related risks, resource gaps and the communication of such issues to project and functional leadership teams. The individual will serve as a materials expert with a desired emphasis on balloon catheter design, bone cement optimization and polymer component design. They will contribute to the team with technical activities for materials selection, processing, characterization, analysis, material stability, biocompatibility, biostability, intellectual property generation as well as understanding of process-property-performance relationships for medical devices. This position will also support scoping/planning of product strategy and identification of technologies and initiatives needed to develop innovative, reliable and cost-effective therapies. The candidate will develop and execute strategies to address those needs. Employee responsibilities may include the following: Contribute to developing products for use in medical procedures as defined / required by the business needs of the company Address challenging and complex problems within early phase product development projects spanning a wide range of difficulty and complexities within their disciple Apply material science principles in the development and synthesis of polymer and composite material product solutions, associated manufacturing/fabrication and assembly processes Provide material expertise in technical activities for new product development, and engage with sustaining engineering efforts to support commercial products Lead generation of product and process requirements with focus on material specifications Responsible for establishing the most effective, reliable, and cost-effective processing methods for manufacturing operation Provide technical support to on-field related activities such as clinical programs and complaint investigations Lead design and technical reviews with cross-functional partners Develop strategies and prepare evaluation plans in consideration of gaps in materials, design and process to achieve optimal solutions that satisfy timeline, cost and technical requirements as they relate to patient safety and product reliability Participate in sourcing, testing and approving materials Provide direction related to and be responsible for deliverables from suppliers, and vendors Provide everyday direction and mentorship to junior engineers and/or technicians Key Skills & Experience Ph.D. in Materials Science, Polymer Science or Engineering (or Equivalent) with 5+ years of relevant direct experience or Bachelor's Degree with 7+ years of relevant direct experience Significant experience in theoretical and practical understanding of polymer materials, materials synthesis and characterization techniques Medical device technology experience, ideally in R&D in Spine, orthopedics or Pain Interventions Proven track record in innovative design, product development and manufacturing Dynamic team player who can work effectively and proactively on cross-functional teams and on various R&D projects Ability to clearly document work, articulate and present ideas and tests results to a variety of audiences. Experience working in a regulated environment Expertise in polymer bonding and adhesives Experience performing failure analysis Knowledge of external standards (e.g. ASTM and ISO) and their use, limitations and applications Knowledge of statistical methods and design of experiments (DoE) Demonstrated ability to apply theoretical knowledge to solve real world biomaterials challenges Preferred experience Experience with bone cement materials such as PMMA Medtronic offer a competitive salary and flexible Benefits Package #IJA 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. 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. This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP). About Medtronic We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission - to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life - unites a global team of 90,000+ passionate people. We are engineers at heart- putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary. Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity here To be considered for this role you will be redirected to and must complete the application process on our careers page. To start the process click the Apply button below to Login/Register.