Automation Lead

Discover International; Berlin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Discover International in Berlin is seeking an experienced Automation Lead to take technical ownership of automation across upstream production. You will drive the full automation lifecycle from system design and project delivery through commissioning, qualification, startup and ongoing GMP operations.

The role requires deep hands-on DeltaV experience, knowledge of batch control, OT systems, and collaboration with bioprocess teams to ensure data integrity and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Automation experience in pharma/biotech/GMP environments.
• Upstream processing or drug substance manufacturing experience.
• Hands-on expertise with Emerson DeltaV.
• Knowledge of GMP process control and batch systems.
• Experience with commissioning, qualification, validation, and lifecycle activities.
• Fluent English; German would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for automation across upstream manufacturing and drug substance operations.
• Support design, configuration, testing, commissioning, qualification, and handover.
• Lead or support FAT, SAT, IQ, OQ, PQ activities.
• Ensure GMP compliance, data integrity, alarm management, and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Validation, IT/OT, Process Development, vendors, and system integrators.
• Support change control, deviations, CAPAs, lifecycle management and continuous improvement.
• Improve process control, batch execution, recipe management, data traceability, and manufacturing reliability.
• Integrate process automation with historians, MES and wider manufacturing systems.

Skills

Automation leadership

GMP/compliance

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Regulatory documentation

Tools

Emerson DeltaV

Batch control systems

OT systems

PI Historian

Job description

We are supporting a highly automated biopharmaceutical manufacturing organisation looking for an experienced Automation Lead to take technical ownership of automation across upstream production. The role will support the full automation lifecycle, from system design and project delivery through commissioning, qualification, production start‑up and ongoing GMP operations.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for automation across upstream manufacturing and drug substance operations.
• Act as a key SME for DeltaV DCS, batch control and OT systems.
• Support automation design, configuration, testing, commissioning, qualification and operational handover.
• Work with automation supporting bioreactors, media preparation, and single-use systems
• Lead or support FAT, SAT, IQ, OQ and PQ activities.
• Ensure automation systems comply with GMP, validation, data integrity, alarm management and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Validation, IT/OT, Process Development, vendors and system integrators.
• Support change control, deviations, CAPAs, lifecycle management and continuous improvement.
• Improve process control, batch execution, recipe management, data traceability and manufacturing reliability.
• Support integration between process automation, historians, MES and wider manufacturing systems.

Requirements

• Strong automation experience within pharma, biotech, biologics, CDMO or another GMP-regulated manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience supporting upstream processing or drug substance manufacturing.
• Strong hands‑on expertise with Emerson DeltaV.
• Good understanding of automated bioprocessing, batch systems and GMP process control.
• Practical exposure to fed-batch processes, bioreactors, single-use bioreactors, media preparation and upstream support systems.
• Experience across commissioning, qualification, validation, troubleshooting and automation lifecycle activities.
• Strong understanding of GMP documentation, change control, data integrity, deviations and CAPAs.
• Ability to lead technical discussions and work across multidisciplinary teams.
• Fluent English required; German would be advantageous.

Advantageous Experience

• Biologics, biosimilar or CDMO manufacturing
• Single-use bioreactor and mixer systems
• Process historians such as AVEVA PI
• MES / manufacturing system integration
• Environmental monitoring or laboratory system interfaces
• Greenfield or brownfield biotech projects

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