Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer

Morgan McKinley; Carlow; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan McKinley seeks a Senior Maintenance Technician in Carlow to uphold electrical, instrumentation, and automation systems for manufacturing operations. You will calibrate instruments, troubleshoot PLC/SCADA/DCS controls, and support regulatory compliance and GMP standards.

You will lead maintenance planning, execute PMs, and participate in change control and continuous improvement initiatives. A time-served apprenticeship plus relevant certs is required.

Qualifications

• Time-served electrical/instrumentation/calibration apprenticeship with relevant certificate/diploma or trade qualification.
• Experience in highly regulated pharma/biotech/ GMP manufacturing environments.
• Hands-on electrical maintenance, instrumentation calibration, fault-finding and troubleshooting.
• Knowledge of process instrumentation including pressure, temperature, flow, level and analysers.
• Experience with PLC/SCADA/HMI/DCS control systems.
• Familiarity with CMMS such as SAP or Maximo.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with RCA capabilities.
• Proficient in MS Office and related software; able to communicate technical info clearly.
• Commitment to safety, quality, compliance, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support to Production in electrical, instrumentation, and automation maintenance, installation, modification, calibration, PMs and fault diagnosis.
• Perform routine and corrective maintenance on electrical systems, instrumentation, control systems, field devices and plant equipment.
• Calibrate process instrumentation including pressure, temperature, flow, level and analytical instruments.
• Coordinate planned shutdowns and maintenance projects, ensuring parts and documentation are available.
• Maintain and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, SCADA, MES, and DCS-based systems for uptime.
• Document maintenance, calibration and modifications in CMMS ensuring GMP compliance.
• Liaise with vendors/contractors for troubleshooting, parts procurement, and system upgrades.

Skills

Electrical maintenance

Instrumentation calibration

Fault diagnosis

PLC

SCADA

HMI

DCS

CMMS SAP/Maximo

Root cause analysis

Kaizen

Safety compliance

Technical communication

Education

Electrical apprenticeship

Engineering apprenticeship

Certificate/Diploma/Trade Qualification

Trade qualification

Tools

SAP

Maximo

CMMS

Job description

Senior Maintenance Technician - 11 month contract - Carlow

Reporting to the Maintenance Lead, the Senior Maintenance Technician will be responsible for maintaining, calibrating, troubleshooting, and improving electrical, instrumentation, automation, and control systems in support of manufacturing operations. The successful candidate will ensure that all activities are performed in compliance with regulatory requirements, site procedures, and safety standards, supporting the reliable and continuous supply of products to patients.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide effective technical support to Production in all aspects of electrical, instrumentation, and automation maintenance, installation, modification, calibration, preventative maintenance (PM), and fault diagnosis.
• Perform routine and corrective maintenance on electrical systems, process instrumentation, control systems, field devices, and associated plant equipment to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant operation.
• Execute calibration activities on process instrumentation including pressure, temperature, flow, level, analytical instruments, control valves, and monitoring systems.
• Support maintenance planning and execution by completing planned and emergency work orders, calibrations, PMs, and breakdown repairs in a timely manner.
• Maintain and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, SCADA, MES, and DCS-based systems, ensuring optimal equipment performance and uptime.
• Investigate and resolve equipment faults through systematic troubleshooting of electrical, instrumentation, and control systems.
• Interpret P&IDs, loop drawings, electrical schematics, control panel drawings, and equipment specifications when planning and performing maintenance activities.
• Document all maintenance, calibration, and modification activities accurately within the CMMS, ensuring complete equipment history and compliance with GMP requirements.
• Support planned shutdowns and maintenance projects by coordinating activities and ensuring required resources, spare parts, and documentation are available to minimize downtime.
• Participate in equipment upgrades, installations, commissioning, qualification activities, and change control processes associated with plant and utility systems.
• Perform root cause analysis of equipment failures and recurring issues using structured problem-solving methodologies such as 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, and FMEA, implementing effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through active participation in Kaizen events, reliability improvements, energy reduction projects, and automation enhancements.
• Liaise with equipment vendors and external contractors regarding troubleshooting, maintenance support, spare parts procurement, and system upgrades.
• Support the maintenance of critical utility and manufacturing systems which may include HVAC, purified water, clean steam, process skids, filling lines, inspection systems, autoclaves, washers, and facility monitoring systems.
• Assist in the development, review, and implementation of maintenance procedures, calibration procedures, SOPs, training documentation, and technical standards.
• Ensure compliance with all Global Policies, Procedures, Regulatory Requirements, Environmental Health & Safety standards, and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs).
• Promote and actively contribute to a safe, compliant, and high-performance culture across the site.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

What Skills You Will Need

To be successful in this role, you will typically possess:

• A time-served Electrical, Instrumentation, Calibration, Engineering Apprenticeship, supported by a relevant Certificate, Diploma, or Trade Qualification.
• Previous experience working within a highly regulated pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, food, or GMP manufacturing environment.
• Strong hands-on experience in electrical maintenance, instrumentation calibration, fault-finding, and troubleshooting.
• Knowledge of process instrumentation including pressure, temperature, flow, level, analytical instruments, control valves, transmitters, and sensors.
• Experience working with PLC, SCADA, HMI, MES, or DCS control systems.
• Good understanding of electrical systems, instrumentation loops, pneumatics, automation systems, and process control principles.
• Experience using CMMS systems such as SAP, Maximo, or equivalent maintenance management software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience in root cause investigations and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other job-related software applications.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and teamwork skills, with the ability to communicate technical information effectively across functions.
• A strong commitment to safety, quality, compliance, and operational excellence.