Principal Optimization Engineer

Required Skills & Experience

• Master’s or Ph.D. (preferred) in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical discipline is strongly preferred.
• 6+ years of progressive work experience in operations research, supply chain modeling, or advanced analytics - with a track record of designing, developing, and deploying optimization and simulation solutions in complex operational environments.
• Experience incubating and productionalizing new analytical capabilities, working closely with data engineers, data scientists, and technical teams from idea generation through implementation.
• Deep expertise in mathematical modeling, algorithm design, and heuristic development for large-scale supply chain problems including network optimization, inventory optimization, and scheduling.
• Significant hands-on experience with optimization engines such as CPLEX, Gurobi, FICO Xpress, and Lyric
• Hands-on experience with discrete-event and continuous simulation platforms such as Simio, FlexSim, AnyLogic, SimPy, or Arena; familiarity with additional simulation environments is a plus.
• Proficiency in one or more programming languages - Python, R, Julia, or equivalent - is required; experience building production-grade analytical solutions is a strong plus.
• Strong working knowledge of AI/ML techniques - including machine learning, deep learning, Generative AI, and Agentic AI - and the ability to integrate these methods into operations research solutions where appropriate.
• Strong knowledge of data science, statistical modeling, and visualization tools including decision trees, neural networks, clustering, regression, and data mining techniques.
• Demonstrated expertise in supply chain modeling across planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and customer fulfillment including deep understanding of supply chain fundamentals - inventory theory, BOM structures, lead times, demand planning
• Experience engaging with and managing university and research institution partnerships, including co-developing methodologies and translating academic research into applied solutions, is a plus.
• Demonstrated success in creative problem solving with proven ability to work cross-functionally, build partnerships, and influence change across a large, complex organization.
• Strong business acumen - able to assess the most appropriate analytical approach given business requirements, constraints, and trade-offs.
• Demonstrated ability to develop business cases and track business benefits, including ROI, P&L savings, cash flow impact, and other key financial metrics.
• Self-starter with a hands-on approach to fast prototyping and a bias toward action in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple competing projects and stakeholder demands in a deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - including model documentation and analyses and demonstrated experience presenting to and influencing senior leaders.

Nice to Have Skills & Experience

• Familiarity with supply chain domains within MedTech or similar industry
• Familiarity with tools like Jira and Confluence
• Experience at the OR/ML interface or experience applying ML/GenAI methods to enhance and improve optimization algorithms
• UX/UI design experience or familiarity partnering with UX/UI designers
• Familiarity with design tools such as Figma and Adobe XD

Job Description

What's in it for you? As a Principal Optimization Engineer, you will lead the design and delivery of high-impact optimization and simulation capabilities. This means crafting algorithms and heuristics tailored to complex supply chain problems, piloting solutions with business partners, and scaling and deploying them across the enterprise to unlock improvements in supply chain experience, effectiveness, and efficiency. Core solution areas include end-to-end optimization, multi-echelon inventory optimization (MEIO), production planning, capacity management, network modeling, simulation, and digital twin technologies. You will report to the Director of Digital Strategy & Deployment. In this role, you will partner closely with global supply chain leaders, in-house AI and data scientists, data engineers, and product management teams - bridging the gap between advanced analytical methods and real-world operational impact.