Senior Sterilization Microbiologist

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 17 Jul 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 Life The Senior Sterilization Microbiologist is responsible for leading the development, validation, and ongoing control of sterilization processes (e.g., EO, steam, radiation) to ensure product safety, regulatory compliance, and process robustness. This role provides technical expertise and strategic direction for microbiological aspects of sterilization across manufacturing and quality systems. At Medtronic, we bring bold ideas forward with speed and decisiveness to put patients first in everything we do. This position is remote to enhance our competitive edge and expand our cross-functional collaboration efforts. This role will require 10% of travel to enhance collaboration and ensure successful completion of projects. Key Responsibilities Lead sterilization validation activities (IQ/OQ/PQ, MPQ/PPQ) for new and existing products. Develop and review sterilization protocols, reports, and cycle parameters. Serve as SME for sterilization processes (EO, Gamma, E-beam, Steam). Ensure compliance with regulatory standards (FDA, ISO 11135, ISO 11137, ISO 17665). Support investigations related to bioburden, sterility failures, and deviations. Oversee bioburden, endotoxin, and environmental monitoring programs. Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Quality, Engineering, Operations, external suppliers like sterilization vendors). Review and approve changes impacting sterilization processes. Provide guidance during audits and regulatory inspections. Drive continuous improvement initiatives in sterilization and microbiology processes. Key Skills Deep expertise in sterilization technologies and microbiology Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Leadership and project management capability Excellent technical writing and communication skills Ability to work cross-functionally and with external partners Typical Work Environment Manufacturing plants, laboratories, and collaboration with external sterilization providers. Involvement in validation runs, audits, and technical reviews Applies existing techniques and procedures with recommendations and implementation of modification for improved efficiency, or devises and develops new analytical methods and techniques. Performs qualitative tests or quantitative assays on samples using techniques that vary from use of standard analytical equipment to highly modern and automated instrumentation. May also be involved in establishing requirements for the transfer of methodology from R&D. Must Have: Minimum Requirements: To be considered for this role, please ensure the minimum requirements are evident in your applicant profile. Requires a Bachelor's degree and minimum of 4 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with a minimum of 2 years relevant experience OR PhD with 0 years relevant experience. Nice to Have Requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Microbiology, Biology, or related field. Requires 5 to 10 years of experience in sterilization microbiology (medical devices/pharma preferred). Strong knowledge of sterilization validation and microbiological methods. Experience with regulatory submissions and audits. Experience with LIMS, SAP, MES, and BPCS required. 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 View email address on click.appcast.io. ‌ 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):$98,400.00 - $147,600.00 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 contribution and match, Short-term disability, Paid time off, Paid holidays, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Employee Assistance Program, Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums), and Capital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums). Regular employees are those who are not temporary, such as interns. Temporary employees are eligible for paid sick time, as required under applicable state law, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Please note some of the above benefits may not apply to workers in Puerto Rico. Further details are available at the link below: Medtronic benefits and compensation plans It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are applying to perform work for Medtronic, Inc. (“Medtronic”) in any position which will involve performing at least two (2) hours of work on average each week within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, you can find here a list of all material job duties of the specific job position which Medtronic reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. Medtronic will consider for employment qualified job applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. 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 95,000+ 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. We change lives. Each team member, each day, helps to improve and redefine how the world treats the most pressing health conditions, from heart disease to diabetes. Our industry leadership comes from the passion and ingenuity of our people. That’s who we are. Working alongside one another, we use science, medicine, and a profound understanding of the human body to build extraordinary technologies that can transform lives. We build extraordinary solutions as one team. With one Medtronic Mindset defining how we work. Speed and decisiveness run through our DNA. Diverse perspectives inspire our bold answers to any challenge that comes our way. And we deliver results the right way, breakthrough after patient breakthrough. This life-changing career is yours to engineer. By bringing your ambitious ideas, unique perspective and contributions, you will… Build a better future, amplifying your impact on the causes that matter to you and the world Grow a career reflective of your passion and abilities Connect to a dynamic and inclusive culture that welcomes the challenge of life-long learning These commitments set our team apart from the rest: Experiences that put people first. Respect for people is the hallmark of our humanity. It fuels our team to positively impact even a single life. And it means we put our people first at Medtronic as well, creating a culture of belonging and always pushing to get you the career-building resources you need. Life-transforming technologies. No matter your role, you contribute to technologies that transform lives. What we build empowers patients to live life on their terms. Better outcomes for our world. Here, it’s about more than the bottom line. Our Mission to improve human welfare drives us. We advance healthcare, society, and equity with every design, inside and outside our walls. Insight-driven care. Fresh viewpoints. Cutting-edge AI, data, and automation. You're shaping the future of healthcare technology and defining the next generation of breakthroughs in care It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. For sales reps and other patient facing field employees, going into a healthcare setting is considered an essential function of the job and we expect our employees to comply with all credentialing requirements at the hospitals or clinics they support. This employer participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E-Verify program, please click here. For updates on job applications, please go to the candidate login page and sign in to check your application status. If you need assistance completing your application please email View email address on click.appcast.io To request removal of your personal information from our systems please email View email address on click.appcast.io