Sr Principal Legal Counsel - Direct Sourcing GOSC Legal

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 14 Nov 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

Provide strategic legal advice and commercial transactional support within the Global Operations & Supply Chain (GOSC) Legal organization to a broad range of Medtronic business clients within Global Supply Management. This individual will focus on product development, supply chain, direct material sourcing, and contract manufacturing agreements with third parties. Responsibilities will include reviewing, drafting, negotiating, and advising business clients on contractual, operational, and risk management matters while delivering practical and timely legal guidance. The attorney will collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including Intellectual Property, Business, Regulatory, Quality, and Trade teams, to support business objectives and facilitate efficient transaction execution.
The role requires an attorney who can independently lead sophisticated negotiations, translate legal risk into clear business choices, and work effectively in a fast-paced, highly matrixed global organization with input from subject matter experts.

This position will report to the Sr. Legal Director within GOSC Legal. The position ideally will reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Lafayette, Colorado; Memphis Tennessee; or Washington DC.

• Provide primary legal support for Direct Sourcing & Contract Manufacturing and Global Technical Sourcing teams, within Global Supply Management organization.
• Analyze, draft and negotiate a broad range of complex agreements, including direct material supply agreements, product development agreements, contract manufacturing agreements, quality-related provisions, and other commercial arrangements.
• Advise business clients on legal and commercial risks involving supplier performance, continuity of supply, quality, warranties and remedies, intellectual property, confidentiality, and other risk-allocation issues.
• Partner closely with Sourcing, Research and Development, Supplier Quality and other legal and functional subject matter experts to develop coordinated and practical solutions.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to business and sourcing leaders by identifying material risks, explaining available options and trade-offs, and recommending commercially reasonable paths forward that protect Medtronic while enabling business objectives.
• Lead complex and high-value negotiations with suppliers and their counsel, including matters involving new technologies, supplier-funded or Medtronic-funded development, licensing, volume commitments, pricing structures and long-term supply arrangements.
• Support the resolution and escalation of supplier disputes, delivery interruptions, performance failures and other operational issues through negotiation, contractual remedies, settlement strategies and coordination with internal and external counsel as appropriate.
• Anticipate and help address emerging legal and operational issues across Direct and Global Technical Sourcing, including evolving contracting models, supply chain resilience, technology-enabled sourcing and protection of Medtronic confidential information, know-how and intellectual property.
• Develop and update agreement templates, negotiation playbooks, guidance materials and training to promote consistent contracting positions and efficient legal support.
• Lead or contribute to cross-functional projects and continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen contracting processes, legal service delivery and stakeholder engagement.
• Perform other responsibilities and special projects as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Juris Doctorate from a nationally recognized US law school and minimum 8 years of experience.
• License to practice law and in good standing under the Bar of at least one state in the United States or Washington D.C.

PREFERRED

• Experience supporting direct procurement, technical sourcing, strategic sourcing, manufacturing, supply chain or supplier relationship matters.
• Experience drafting and negotiating product development, co-development, contract manufacturing, technology, licensing or similar complex agreements.
• Background in intellectual property law or substantial experience addressing intellectual property ownership, licensing, technology transfer, confidentiality, know-how and development deliverables in commercial transactions.
• Experience working with engineers, research and development teams, quality professionals, operations leaders and sourcing professionals on technically complex matters.

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