Sr Controls Engineer

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 16 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 LifeThe Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and Operations Sustaining team supports the development, launch, optimization, and long-term support of manufacturing systems used to produce medical technologies at the Boulder/Lafayette, Colorado manufacturing site. This team partners with Manufacturing, Quality, Operations, Research & Development, and external equipment suppliers to deliver scalable, reliable, and compliant automation solutions that support both new product introductions and existing production lines.
This position is based in Lafayette, Colorado and is an onsite role 5 days a week supporting manufacturing operations and engineering activities. Limited travel may be required to support equipment suppliers, acceptance testing, and project implementation activities.
The Senior Controls Engineer leads the design, development, integration, validation, and lifecycle support of automated manufacturing equipment and test systems. This role serves as a technical leader for controls architecture, industrial automation, machine safety, and equipment performance while collaborating with cross-functional teams and external suppliers to support manufacturing objectives and new product introduction initiatives.
Primary Responsibilities
Lead development, integration, and deployment of automated assembly and test equipment for new and existing manufacturing processes.
Define equipment requirements, technical specifications, controls architecture, and project deliverables for automation projects.
Program, troubleshoot, and optimize Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), vision systems, and data acquisition systems.
Provide technical oversight of equipment suppliers, ensuring compliance with design requirements, project timelines, and performance specifications.
Lead factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, equipment qualifications, and validation activities.
Evaluate manufacturing equipment for compliance with applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) safety standards.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve equipment reliability, process capability, throughput, and product quality.
Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, Operations, and Research & Development teams to resolve complex equipment and process issues.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree and 4+ years OR Master's degree and 2+ years OR PHD and 0 years of controls engineering, automation engineering, or manufacturing engineering experience.
Experience programming and troubleshooting PLC-controlled manufacturing equipment.
Experience with HMI development, industrial automation systems, and machine integration.
Experience leading automation equipment projects from specification through validation and production release.
Experience supporting regulated manufacturing environments.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with medical device manufacturing equipment and processes.
Experience integrating machine vision and automated inspection systems.
Experience performing Measurement System Analysis (MSA) and Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (Gage R&R) studies.
Knowledge of equipment validation, qualification protocols, and quality system requirements.
Experience with machine safety risk assessments and ANSI/OSHA compliance requirements.
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 designed to support you at every career and life stage.
Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$104,000.00 - $156,000.00
‌
This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).
The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California. The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification/education, market conditions, and location. Compensation and benefits information pertains solely to candidates hired within the United States (local market compensation and benefits will apply for others).
The following benefits and additional compensation are available to those regular employees who work 20+ hours per week: Health, Dental and vision insurance, Health Savings Account, Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Life insurance, Long-term disability leave, Dependent daycare spending account, Tuition assistance/reimbursement, and Simple Steps (global well-being program).
The following benefits and additional compensation are available to all regular employees: Incentive plans, 401(k) plan plus employer cont