IT OT Automation Engineer

Simotechnology; Athlone; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

SimoTech is seeking multiple automation engineers (IT/OT) to support a major greenfield expansion at a pharmaceutical OSD manufacturing site in Ireland. You will deliver IT/OT capabilities across PLC/SCADA, eSCADA, and MES ecosystems, collaborating with manufacturing, validation, quality and IT teams to ensure safe, compliant system delivery.

The role involves end-to-end technical delivery, system integration, vendor coordination, risk management and lifecycle support, with opportunities to

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of IT/OT project delivery in pharma or regulated manufacturing.
• Experience with PLC/SCADA/DCS, historians, MES.
• Familiar with GAMP, change control and validation readiness.
• Excellent communication across technical and operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of IT/OT project work packages from initiation to handover, ensuring scope alignment and schedule control.
• Coordinate with engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, IT security, vendors, and system integrators to develop aligned delivery plans.
• Lead requirements gathering and contribute to solution design for OT systems (PLC/SCADA/DCS, historians, MES) and integrations (cloud platforms, data management).
• Embed compliance requirements in delivery, including GxP change control, permit-to-work, validation readiness, and cutover planning.
• Manage procurement and vendor performance, including scope definition, acceptance criteria and milestones.
• Oversee testing and commissioning activities such as FAT/SAT, UAT, documentation reviews, and handover.
• Support project governance routines and drive continuous improvement through lessons learned and risk management.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Project governance

Systems integration

Cybersecurity awareness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Automation, Electrical Engineering, IT, Computer Science, or related discipline

Tools

Siemens PLC/SCADA

Aveva PI

ThinManager

Ignition

PAS-X MES

Job description

SimoTech provides manufacturing automation andIT systems engineering, project management and validation services. We partnerwith life sciences companies to design, build, operate and optimise criticalprocess automation systems that deliver fast track project delivery,operational efficiency, improve manufacturing agility and achieve regulatorycompliance.

Why SimoTech

What is it like to work at SimoTech? With astrong collaborative teamwork culture based on respect, trust and excellence,we play a critical partnering role to our clients’ life-changing supply ofproducts to patients. In return, there is excellent salary, benefits, careerprogression, educational support and much more.

SimoTech is seeking multipleexperienced Automation Engineers (IT/OT) to support the ramp-up of a majorgreenfield expansion within a pharmaceutical Oral Solid Dose (OSD)manufacturing site. Each engineer will support key automation and digitaltechnology areas, across PLC/SCADA, (Siemens), eSCADA (Ignition), ThinManager, AVEVA PI,VPE-managed equipment, and associated automation systems.

Working as part of amultidisciplinary project team, the successful candidates will play a key rolein the design, implementation, integration, commissioning, and operationalreadiness of their assigned technology domain. The role involves closecollaboration with manufacturing, engineering, validation, quality,cybersecurity, and global IT teams to ensure systems are delivered safely,compliantly, and in alignment with project and business objectives.

Responsibilities include supportingend-to-end technical delivery, system integration, vendor coordination, riskmanagement, troubleshooting, and lifecycle support across both OperationalTechnology (OT) and enterprise IT environments. Candidates will play a criticalrole in establishing scalable, reliable, and cybersecure automationinfrastructure that will underpin future manufacturing capacity and operationalexcellence at the site.

Requirements

KeyResponsibilities

• Take ownership of IT/OTproject work packages from initiation to handover, ensuring scope alignment,schedule control, resource management, and benefits realisation.
  
• Coordinate with engineering,manufacturing, maintenance, IT security, vendors, and system integrators todevelop aligned delivery plans.
  
• Lead requirements gatheringand contribute to solution design for OT systems (PLC/SCADA/DCS, historians,MES) and relevant enterprise IT integrations (e.g., cloud platforms, datamanagement solutions).
  
• Embed compliance requirementsin delivery, including GxP change control, permit-to-work, validationreadiness, and operational cutover planning.
  
• Manage procurement and vendorperformance, including scope definition, acceptance criteria, deliverymilestones, and change control.
  
• Oversee testing andcommissioning activities such as FAT/SAT, UAT, documentation reviews, andoperational handover activities.
  
• Support project governanceroutines and drive continuous improvement through lessons learned and riskmanagement.
  

Key Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree inAutomation, Electrical Engineering, IT, Computer Science, or relateddiscipline.
  
• Minimum 3–5 years’ experiencedelivering IT/OT projects, ideally in pharma or regulated manufacturingenvironments.
  
• Demonstrated understanding ofIT/OT delivery methodologies, project governance, controls, and reportingframeworks.
  
• Experience across multiple ITand OT technologies, including PLC, SCADA, process systems, and networking,with an emphasis on integration projects.
  
• Strong stakeholder engagementskills with the ability to communicate across technical and operational teams,including leadership.
  
• Proven experience with GAMPprinciples, commissioning practices, change control, and operational readiness.
  
• Excellent facilitation,documentation, and problem-solving capabilities.
  
• Practical experiencewith automation platforms such as Siemens or Schneider PLC/SCADA, Aveva PI,ThinManager, Ignition, and MES solutions (e.g., PAS-X) is considered desirable.
  
• Familiarity with ActiveDirectory, ITIL frameworks (including ServiceNow), and enterprise integrationprinciples are considered desirable
  
• Knowledge ofcybersecurity controls, OT networking, and cloud/edge integration technologiesis considered desirable.

What SimoTech CanOffer

• Role provides a high degree of autonomy to allow the successfulcandidate to reach their full potential.
  
• Develop new skills and enhance technical ability by working withinnovative technologies in a multi-disciplined environment.
  
• Opportunity to work with large corporate clients on exciting capitalprojects.