About Us:

Machine Solutions is the premier provider of advanced equipment and services for the medical device, biopharmaceutical, and blood- and plasma-collection industries. We support our customers’ needs and growth by delivering quality and value through a wide breadth of products. Machine Solutions provides proprietary mechanical solutions to a variety of complex process, testing and device design challenges. Our equipment has become the industry standard for stent crimping, balloon catheter pleating and folding, catheter braiding and medical device manufacturing applications. As a pioneer in radio frequency technology, the company has continued to develop advancing technology for thermal forming, molding and welding plastic for medical manufacturing, biopharmaceutical, and blood- and plasma-processing applications. Our experienced team of engineers has been instrumental in automating manual processes that enable our customers to increase production volumes and profit margins, and we believe in providing a superior customer experience by designating resources to a dedicated aftermarket team that is always ready to provide technical service and process support. Machine Solutions is privately owned by BW Forsyth Partners, a Barry-Wehmiller company.

 

BW Forsyth Partners is the investment arm of multibillion-dollar global manufacturing and engineering consulting firm Barry-Wehmiller. Established in 2009, BW Forsyth Partners blends Barry-Wehmiller’s unparalleled legacy of value creation and people-centric culture development with keen investing experience to help companies realize their true potential. With a focus limited to areas known well, BW Forsyth Partners seeks to partner with leadership teams to acquire small- to middle-market companies in the capital and component equipment, and professional services sectors. In each of our operating companies, BW Forsyth Partners deploys operational improvements and strategy development without compromising the autonomy, strategic vision and entrepreneurial spirit of their leadership teams.

 

Job Description:

POSITION: Software Engineer IV (Principal)

JOB PROFILE: 200572

REPORTS TO: Director; NPD and Strategy

DEPARTMENT: New Product Development (NPD)

LOCATION(S): Minneapolis, Tucson, Flagstaff

COMPANY SUMMARY:

Machine Solutions is the premier provider of advanced equipment and services for the medical device industry. The unified brands of MSI, PlasticWeld Systems, Steeger USA, Intec Automation, and Vante offer a full breadth of products to support customer needs and growth. The company has been instrumental in automating manual processes within minimally invasive device manufacturing operations, as well as in the broader medical device industry. By focusing on delivering quality and value, and by dedicating resources to our aftermarket team for technical service and process support, Machine Solutions provides superior customer experience. Machine Solutions is privately owned by BW Forsyth Partners, a Barry-Wehmiller Group company. For more, go to www.machinesolutions.com.

GENERAL PURPOSE OF JOB:

The Principal Software Engineer will serve as the technical leader for embedded control and automation software design, with a focus on microcontrollers, system-level integration and a working knowledge of PLCs. This individual will drive software architecture, development standards, and design best practices for complex capital equipment supporting the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. The ideal candidate combines deep hands-on coding experience in embedded systems programming, systems engineering acumen, ability to mentor and serve as a software development expert and leverage AI to enhance/augment coding development.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the design and implementation of real-time control systems for automated medical device manufacturing equipment.
• Design, implement, and optimize motion control systems for precision automation applications, including servo and stepper motor control.
• Provide technical guidance on hardware selection, control strategy, safety interlocks, and network communication protocols.
• Serve as the primary software technical authority during design reviews, risk assessments, and design verification activities.
• Develop and maintain embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers (e.g., ARM Cortex, Microchip, or STM32).
• Implement deterministic communication between PLCs, embedded controllers, and supervisory systems (EtherNet/IP, Modbus, CAN, RS-485, SPI, I²C, etc.).
• Develop user interfaces and operator controls through HMI systems for production environments.
• Ensure software modules are robust, maintainable, and traceable to design inputs and risk mitigations
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and process engineers to develop integrated control solutions for precision motion, fluidics, robotics, and safety systems.
• Participate in design verification and validation (V&V) testing, including protocol creation, execution, and documentation per QMS requirements.
• Support factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), and field support of deployed systems.
• Conduct root cause analysis and corrective action for software-related field or production issues.
• Contribute to the development of company-wide software standards for automation platforms and embedded systems.
• Leverage AI to enhance, augment and accelerate code development within embedded systems. Essentially use AI to accelerate software development, debug code and wherever else AI can serve as a tool.
• Define software architectures integrating PLCs, microcontrollers, motion controllers, sensors, and HMI systems.
• Develop structured PLC software (Ladder Logic, Function Block Diagram, Structured Text) using Allen-Bradley, Beckhoff and Omron platforms.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Technical Skills:

• FPGAs, sensors, and communication interfaces (I2C, CAN, Ethernet, Modbus, Profinet).
• Expert in IEC 61131-3 programming languages and embedded C/C++.
• Understanding of PLCs and microcontrollers (Beckhoff, Omron, Allen-Bradley, etc.), FPGAs, sensors, and communication interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet).
• Strong analytical and debugging skills using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and network tools.
• Excellent documentation, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to balance innovation with compliance and risk management.
• Proficient use in leveraging AI to enhance and accelerate coding capabilities.

Soft Skills:

• Strong leadership, communication, and mentoring abilities.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical thinking.
• Collaborative and adaptable with cross-functional teams across multiple sites and locations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ISO 9001, 13485, IEC 61131-3, 21 CFR part 11 and 21 CFR 820 quality systems and design controls.
• Knowledge of functional safety standards (IEC 61508, ISO 13849).
• Strong familiarity with system engineering practices and requirements traceability.
• Experience in reliability engineering and lifecycle analysis.
• Project management or technical lead experience in multi-disciplinary programs.
• Demonstrated use and deployment of AI tools to accelerate code development.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Education:

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related required.

Experience:

• 10+ years developing software for microcontroller, embedded systems and PLC based platforms is a strong plus with at least 3 years in a technical leadership or principal engineer capacity, or 8+ years with a Master’s degree.
• Proven track record of bringing products from concept through production.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, schematics, interconnects assembly and part drawings or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals. Ability to present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, and customers.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

With or without reasonable accommodation minimal time will be spent walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching. Some time will be spent standing, sitting, talking, and hearing, and using hands to handle, feel and reach. At times up to 50 pounds will need to be lifted.

To effectively complete the tasks in this position the following vision requirements are needed:

• Ability to adjust focus, ability to identify and distinguish colors,

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Minimal time will be spent in wet or humid conditions, and near caustic or toxic chemicals. Some time will be spent working near moving mechanical parts. The noise level is moderate (examples: business offices with computers and printers).

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At Barry-Wehmiller we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please still consider applying. We know that our differences often can bring about innovation, excellence and meaningful work—therefore, people from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to our positions. Please let us know if you require reasonable accommodations during the interview process. ​

Barry-Wehmiller is an equal opportunity employer. M/F/D/V This organization uses E-Verify.

 

Applicants may be subject to pre-employment screening which may include drug screening, reference checks, employment verifications, background screening and/or skills assessments.

Company:

Machine Solutions, Inc.