Principal Test Automation Engineer (Robotics & Test Systems) - Surgical

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 Making the best possible surgery accessible to every patient. We believe the future of surgery is less invasive and more precise, predictable, and personalised. We bring together sharp surgical expertise, extensive medical knowledge, and cutting-edge technology with a single-minded focus on each patient - wherever they are, and however they need to be treated. Each surgical specialty faces unique challenges, yet the goal is universal: better care for patients. By understanding these differences, we deliver solutions that empower surgeons and keep patients at the heart of every decision. We are seeking a Principal Test Automation Engineer to lead the architecture, development and deployment of automated test systems for advanced medical devices, surgical instruments and robotic systems. The role turns purpose-built test rigs into integrated, repeatable and scalable test platforms by controlling equipment, synchronising sensors, automating test sequences and data acquisition, and converting test objectives into reliable software and controls solutions. This is a principal-level individual-contributor role with broad technical influence across multidisciplinary teams. The successful candidate will define reusable automation architectures, lead critical software and system-integration decisions, and establish engineering practices that improve test throughput, repeatability, traceability, maintainability and data quality. The role combines hands-on implementation with technical leadership from early feasibility and prototyping through commissioning, qualification, release and lifecycle support. The role will be based at the Mervue Campus in Galway, Ireland. • Lead the automation architecture, software design and development of test systems used for instrument performance testing, characterisation, identification, verification and engineering investigations. • Translate test methods, product requirements and measurement needs into robust automated sequences, state machines, equipment interfaces, data-acquisition workflows and system specifications. • Integrate motion equipment, robotic systems, sensors, instrumentation, data-acquisition hardware, cameras, safety systems and device interfaces into coordinated automated test platforms. • Develop modular, reusable and maintainable test software using appropriate languages and frameworks such as Python, LabVIEW, C/C++, MATLAB, or comparable industrial automation technologies. • Design deterministic sequencing, synchronisation, triggering and timestamping approaches that align commanded test conditions with sensor, image, controller and device data. • Build software interfaces and drivers for instruments, controllers and embedded systems using protocols such as Ethernet, EtherCat, TCP/IP, serial, or vendor APIs, as applicable. • Define automated data capture, configuration management, metadata, logging, traceability, error handling, diagnostics and reporting to support high-quality engineering decisions. • Lead concept development, prototyping, code and design reviews, integration, commissioning, qualification, troubleshooting and release of automated test systems. • Partner with mechanical, electrical, mechatronics, controls, systems, product, quality and data engineers to ensure test rigs are design