Junior Growth Engineer

Horizon Controls Group; Ireland; On-site; EUR 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizon Controls Group seeks a Junior Growth Engineer to join a pharmaceutical manufacturing site at Ballydine, Co. Tipperary. The role offers hands-on experience in automation, process control, and project initiatives within a GMP environment.

You will work alongside experienced Automation and Process Engineers to support manufacturing systems, data integrity, and system qualification, with a clear path for early-career development in the pharma sector.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Automation, Electrical, Electronic, Mechatronics, Chemical, or another relevant engineering discipline.
• Strong interest in automation technologies (PLC/SCADA/DCS/MES).
• Understanding of GMP‑regulated manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Support engineering and automation activities across manufacturing systems, utilities, and laboratory equipment in a GMP environment.
• Assist with configuration, testing, maintenance, and troubleshooting of automation and control systems (PLC/SCADA/DCS).
• Contribute to commissioning, qualification, and validation activities (IQ/OQ/PQ).
• Prepare and update engineering documentation (URS, FRS, test protocols, technical reports).
• Assist with change controls, CAPA, and documentation updates per site procedures.
• Perform basic fault finding and system checks under guidance of senior engineers.
• Participate in system upgrades, process improvements, and reliability initiatives.
• Apply GMP, GAMP 5, data integrity, and site safety principles.

Skills

Automation

GMP awareness

PLC/SCADA/DCS

Data integrity

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Automation/Electrical/Electronic/Mechatronics/Chemical engineering

Tools

Allen‑Bradley PLC

Siemens PLC

Emerson DeltaV

Job description

Junior Growth Engineer – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Location: Ballydine, Co. Tipperary, Ireland Experience: 0–3 years Working Arrangement: Onsite, Monday to Friday Industry: Pharmaceutical / Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing

Working Arrangements

This is a site-based role requiring attendance at the Ballydine facility five days per week during the initial onboarding and training period .

Once onboarding is complete, some flexibility may be considered, subject to operational requirements, the nature of the work, and agreement with the hiring manager. Candidates must be comfortable meeting the five-day onsite requirement initially.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking an enthusiastic Junior Growth Engineer to join our client’s engineering team at a pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Ballydine, Co. Tipperary.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career engineer to develop practical experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, automation, process control, and engineering improvement projects within a highly regulated GMP environment.

Working alongside experienced Automation and Process Engineers, you will support technical activities involving manufacturing systems, equipment automation, process controls, data integrity, and system qualification. The role offers hands‑on learning, exposure to industry-standard technologies, and the opportunity to build a strong foundation for a long‑term engineering career in the pharmaceutical sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Support engineering and automation activities across manufacturing systems, utilities, and laboratory equipment within a GMP‑regulated environment.
• Assist with the configuration, testing, maintenance, and troubleshooting of automation and control systems, including PLC, SCADA, and DCS platforms such as Allen‑Bradley, Siemens, and Emerson DeltaV.
• Contribute to commissioning, qualification, and validation activities for automated systems and equipment, including IQ, OQ, and PQ documentation and testing.
• Support the preparation and updating of engineering documentation, including User Requirements Specifications (URS), Functional Requirements Specifications (FRS), test protocols, and technical reports.
• Assist with change controls, deviation investigations, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and documentation updates in accordance with site procedures.
• Perform routine system checks, alarm reviews, and basic fault‑finding activities under the guidance of senior engineers.
• Participate in system upgrades, process improvements, and initiatives to enhance equipment reliability, operational efficiency, and manufacturing performance.
• Apply GMP, GAMP 5, data integrity, and site safety principles when carrying out engineering activities.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, including Process Engineering, Automation, Maintenance, IT, Quality, and Validation.
• Develop technical knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing systems, instrumentation, process controls, and relevant industry standards.

Requirements

Essential:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Automation, Electrical, Electronic, Mechatronics, Chemical, or another relevant engineering discipline.
• 0–3 years of relevant experience, including graduate placements, internships, industrial projects, or early‑career engineering roles.
• An understanding of GMP‑regulated manufacturing environments, gained through education, placement, internship, or professional experience.
• A strong interest in automation technologies, including PLC, SCADA, DCS, MES, and instrumentation.
• Good analytical, problem‑solving, communication, and documentation skills.
• A proactive attitude, willingness to learn, and ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• A strong commitment to quality, safety, data integrity, and compliance with established procedures.

Desirable:

• Practical exposure to automation systems or platforms such as Allen‑Bradley, Siemens, or Emerson DeltaV.
• Familiarity with GAMP 5, Computer System Validation (CSV), data integrity, or qualification and validation principles.
• Previous placement, internship, or graduate programme experience in pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Basic knowledge of commissioning, system testing, technical documentation, or engineering change control.