Sr. Strategic Sourcing Specialist-Site Operations/Planning

Senior Strategic Sourcing Specialist

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

As the Senior Strategic Sourcing Specialist at Medtronic's manufacturing campus in Orange County, CA, you will join our Operations Sourcing team, responsible for raw material supply continuity and collaborating cross-functionally with Site Operations, Planning, Quality, and Finance experts. Your expertise will help power solutions for our Irvine, Santa Ana, and Menlo Park sites, solving complex supply challenges and fueling Medtronic's mission to improve patient lives every day. You will serve as the primary escalation point for material issues that could impact manufacturing operations, back orders, backlogs, and supplier on-time-in-full, supporting multiple business units, including Neurovascular, Peripheral Vascular Health, Cardiac Surgery, Structural Heart, and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT). These sites play a critical role in producing innovative medical devices used in cardiac surgery, minimally invasive therapies for heart valve repair and aortic disease, and advanced ENT solutions, including image-guided surgery and nerve monitoring. 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 4 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.

In this role, you will:

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with suppliers and cross-functional teams, including Operations Scheduling, Supply Network Planning, Supplier Quality Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance, Operations Quality, and Category Management.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for raw material disruptions, driving rapid resolution for issues that may impact site operations, backlog, or backorder.
• Participate in Tier Reviews, Master Production Schedule (MPS) consensus meetings, and cross-functional Tier Escalation Meetings with site and functional leaders—providing clear status updates, communicating risks, and aligning on mitigation plans.
• Use and continuously improve tools and processes such as shortage reports, Clear2Build, supplier SIOP, and supplier risk assessments to proactively identify and mitigate future component or material shortages.
• Ensure effective communication of unmitigated shortages and partner with stakeholders to implement operational mitigations that reduce business impact.
• Manage Strategic Inventory Purchases (SIP), Last Time Buys (LTB), Phase In/Phase Out (PIPO) transitions, and supply continuity projects in collaboration with Shared Services (Engineering/NPD), Material/Resin teams, and Tooling Management.
• Support audit readiness by coordinating supplier selection-related audits and providing site support during regulatory body audits.
• Drive or support supplier capacity management initiatives aligned with Medtronic's long-term growth and reliability goals.

Must-Have: Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree plus a minimum of 4 years of relevant supply chain experience, or an advanced degree with a minimum of 2 years of relevant supply chain experience

Nice to Have:

• Strong background in supply chain, procurement, supplier management, operations planning, or materials management, ideally within medical device or other regulated, high-control manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage escalations, resolve supply continuity challenges, and lead cross-functional initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced communication, analytical, strategic thinking, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at multiple levels.
• Experience collaborating with suppliers and internal partners to drive operational and business results.
• Proficiency with integrated manufacturing, planning, and ERP systems (SAP, Blue Yonder, MRP/ERP), and familiarity with tools such as SIOP, Clear2Build, risk assessments, and supply shortage analytics.
• Knowledge of supplier capacity planning, inventory strategies (SIP, LTB, PIPO), project management principles, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Professional certifications such as ASCM/APICS CSCP or CPIM, Lean/Six Sigma Belt, or related supply chain/operations credentials.

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.

Join us in our mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life—where your unique background and perspective are valued.

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): $84,000.00 - $126,000.00. 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 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

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 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.

Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity here.

It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status,