Junior IT OT Automation Engineer

SimoTech; Athlone; On-site; EUR 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

SimoTech is seeking a Junior Automation Engineer (IT/OT) to support the ramp-up of a major greenfield expansion within a pharmaceutical Oral Solid Dose (OSD) manufacturing site in Ireland. You’ll work across PLC/SCADA, eSCADA, AVEVA PI, and related automation systems under senior engineers.

In this role you will assist with requirements gathering, testing, documentation, and governance, contributing to compliant, on-time project delivery while developing hands-on IT/OT integration knowledge.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years' experience in IT and/or OT environments, preferably in manufacturing automation.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Automation, Electrical, Electronic, Computer, IT or related field is required.
• Aware of GAMP, validation and regulatory considerations is desirable.
• Strong teamwork, communication and documentation skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Assist Work Package Ownership activities including scope, schedule, documentation and status.
• Coordinate between engineering, operations, IT security, vendors and integrators for aligned delivery.
• Contribute to requirements gathering and solution design for OT systems (PLC/SCADA/DCS, MES).
• Support testing, commissioning, FAT/SAT, training, and final handover.
• Capture governance inputs and maintain up-to-date project documentation.

Skills

Teamwork

Communication

Documentation

Attention to detail

Learning mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Automation/Electrical/Engineering

Tools

Siemens PLC/SCADA

Schneider PLC/SCADA

Ignition

ThinManager

Aveva PI

PAS-X MES

Job description

SimoTech provides manufacturing automation and IT systems engineering, project management and validation services. We partner with life sciences companies to design, build, operate and optimise critical process automation systems that deliver fast track project delivery, operational efficiency, improve manufacturing agility and achieve regulatory compliance.

Why SimoTech

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

SimoTech is seeking a Junior Automation Engineer (IT/OT) to support the ramp-up of a major greenfield expansion within a pharmaceutical Oral Solid Dose (OSD) manufacturing site.

The successful candidate will support the delivery of projects that span enterprise IT systems and Operational Technology (OT) environments across PLC/SCADA, (Siemens), eSCADA (Ignition), ThinManager, AVEVA PI, VPE-managed equipment, and associated automation systems.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to build hands-on experience in automation, IT/OT integration, cybersecurity, compliance, and project delivery under the guidance of senior engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in Work Package Ownership activities covering scope, schedule, documentation, and status tracking for IT/OT deliverables.
• Support coordination between engineering, operations, maintenance, IT security, vendors, and integrators to enable aligned project delivery.
• Contribute to requirements gathering and solution design for OT systems such as PLC/SCADA/DCS, historians, MES, and OT networks.
• Help ensure compliance and safety protocols are adhered to, including change control and operational readiness processes.
• Assist with vendor and procurement processes such as drafting inputs for statements of work, acceptance criteria, and delivery milestones.
• Participate in testing and commissioning activities (FAT/SAT), user acceptance tests, documentation review, training support, and final handover.
• Capture governance inputs such as actions, risks, issues, lessons learned, and maintain up to date project documentation.

Key Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification in Automation, Electrical, Electronic, Computer, IT, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 1-2 years' experience in IT and/or OT environments, preferably in manufacturing automation or plant systems.
• Basic knowledge of project delivery methodologies, documentation standards, and governance processes.
• Awareness of regulated environments and frameworks such as GAMP, commissioning, validation, and operational readiness is desirable.
• Strong teamwork, communication, and documentation skills.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and eager to learn in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with PLC/SCADA systems such as Siemens or Schneider, and exposure to MES solutions (e.g., PAS-X), Ignition, ThinManager, or Aveva PI is considered desirable.
• Awareness of Active Directory, IT networking principles, and integration concepts in OT environments is considered desirable.
• Basic understanding of ITIL processes related to project and service delivery (ServiceNow experience is an advantage.

What SimoTech Can Offer

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