Senior Automation Engineer

GSK; Barnard Castle; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base Salary

Annual bonus based on company perfor­m

Opportunities to attend industry conf-

Support for professional development &

Healthcare and wellbeing programs

Employee recognition programs

Job summary

GSK Barnard Castle, a key secondary manufacturing site, seeks a Senior Automation Engineer to provide technical expertise across automation and control systems on new and existing equipment. You will support strategic decisions and act as a technical SME for automation within the site.

The role requires delivering cross-functional leadership, maintaining compliance with OT security and GxP standards, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Recognised Apprenticeship in Electrical, Instrumentation/Controls Engineering or Computer Science discipline (or similar)
• Bachelor of Engineering (or working towards)
• Experience working in a Pharmaceutical or highly regulated industry including Manufacturing Environments
• Technical and operational knowledge of Automation systems (SCADA, PLC, HMI, Servo, Vision, Field Instrumentation) for off the shelf and bespoke process and production equipment

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise on advanced automated manufacturing/packaging processes
• Lead cross-functional groups through complex technical challenges and improvement initiatives, ensuring alignment with engineering standards and guides
• Ensure compliance of owned areas with internal and external standards, including OT Security Standards, and build cybersecurity awareness within engineering/production teams
• Review and assess obsolescence risks for the allocated Production Business Unit, collaborating with the Capital Projects team to drive facility improvements
• Maintain and manage the site asset register for automation equipment within the allocated Production Business Unit
• Liaise with central teams to develop new automation technologies and standards, and review supplier performance on costs, compliance, and milestone delivery
• Provide technical leadership to automation engineers, including assisting with complex decisions, setting site automation strategies, and managing system deployments
• Act as the second point of contact for production automation support, focusing on equipment breakdowns, with flexibility in working hours as required
• Participate in Continuous Improvement activities, including DMAIC, RCA, and CAPA processes and input into deviations as automation SME.
• Deputising for the site automation lead as required

Skills

Asset Life Cycle Management

Data Integrity

Digital Fluency

GxP Regulations

Lean Management

Manufacturing Technologies

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Problem Solving

Risk Awareness

Standards Compliance

Education

Recognised Apprenticeship in Electrical, Instrumentation/Controls Engineering or Computer Science

Bachelor of Engineering (or working towards)

Tools

Siemens S5/S7 PCS7

TIA Portal

WinCC

Job description

GSK Barnard Castle is a key secondary manufacturing site and has invested heavily in industry 4.0 state of the art, bespoke equipment to support sustained new product introductions and volume increases, and as a key supplier of some of GSK’s blockbuster products, the site contributes revenues of ~$2Bn annually. The automation engineering team provide technical expertise to support the manufacturing automation and control systems for all production operations at across the manufacturing site. This role would predominantly be site-based (although there are flexible working policies in place). We provide external training where required and support personal development and progression alongside opportunities for further education and professional registration.

Job Purpose

As a Senior Automation Engineer you will provide technical expertise for all automation and control system activities on new and existing equipment and facilities across the site. This will include provide support to members of the team, and to making strategic decisions on situations within areas of expertise.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise on advanced automated manufacturing/packaging processes
• Lead cross-functional groups through complex technical challenges and improvement initiatives, ensuring alignment with engineering standards and guides
• Ensure compliance of owned areas with internal and external standards, including OT Security Standards, and build cybersecurity awareness within engineering/production teams
• Review and assess obsolescence risks for the allocated Production Business Unit, collaborating with the Capital Projects team to drive facility improvements
• Maintain and manage the site asset register for automation equipment within the allocated Production Business Unit
• Liaise with central teams to develop new automation technologies and standards, and review supplier performance on costs, compliance, and milestone delivery
• Provide technical leadership to automation engineers, including assisting with complex decisions, setting site automation strategies, and managing system deployments
• Act as the second point of contact for production automation support, focusing on equipment breakdowns, with flexibility in working hours as required
• Participate in Continuous Improvement activities, including DMAIC, RCA, and CAPA processes and input into deviations as automation SME.
• Deputising for the site automation lead as required

About You

This role is suited to a motivated person with good influencing, communication, and teamworking skills. A successful candidate will have a passion for understanding and mastering a variety of complex automation systems and must have a keen interest in the development and deployment of emerging technologies into beneficial use.

Basic Qualifications / Skills

• Recognised Apprenticeship in Electrical, Instrumentation/Controls Engineering or Computer Science discipline (or similar)
• Bachelor of Engineering (or working towards)
• Experience working in a Pharmaceutical or highly regulated industry including Manufacturing Environments
• Technical and operational knowledge of Automation systems (SCADA, PLC, HMI, Servo, Vision, Field Instrumentation) for off the shelf and bespoke process and production equipment

Preferred Qualifications / Skills

• Knowledge of change management in a regulated environment
• Registered with a professional body and recognised at Ieng or CEng (or working towards)
• Experience of Siemens equipment including S5, S7, PCS7, TIA portal and WinCC
• Appreciation of Operational Technology Cyber Security

Benefits

• Competitive base Salary
• Annual bonus based on company performance
• Opportunities to attend and partake in industry conferences
• Support for professional development and chartership (GSK are accredited by IET, IMechE, IChemE and other professional bodies)
• Access to healthcare and wellbeing programs
• Employee recognition programs

Skills

• Asset Life Cycle Management
• Data Integrity
• Digital Fluency
• GxP Regulations
• Lean Management
• Manufacturing Technologies
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• Problem Solving
• Risk Awareness
• Standards Compliance

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, as a successful, growing company where people can thrive. We get ahead of disease by preventing and treating it with innovation in specialty medicines and vaccines. We focus on four therapeutic areas: respiratory, immunology and inflammation; oncology; HIV; and infectious diseases – to impact health at scale. People and patients around the world count on the medicines and vaccines we make, so we’re committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and focus on what matters most. Our culture of being ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and doing the right thing is the foundation for how, together, we deliver for patients, shareholders and our people. GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law. We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

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We are a global biopharma company with a special purpose – to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together – so we can positively impact the health of billions of people and deliver stronger, more sustainable shareholder returns – as an organisation where people can thrive. Getting ahead means preventing disease as well as treating it, and we aim to impact the health of 2.5 billion people around the world in the next 10 years. Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and shareholders, it’s also about making GSK a place where people can thrive. We want GSK to be a place where people feel inspired, encouraged and challenged to be the best they can be. A place where they can be themselves – feeling welcome, valued and included. Where they can keep growing and look after their wellbeing. So, if you share our ambition, join us at this exciting moment in our journey to get Ahead Together.

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