Principal Automation Engineer – Rockwell / Allen-Bradley

European Tech Recruit; Limerick; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

European Tech Recruit seeks a Principal Automation Engineer for a leading biopharmaceutical facility in Limerick. You will own Rockwell/Allen-Bradley automation systems, lead complex projects and act as SME for Rockwell technologies in a highly regulated GMP environment.

You will design, develop and optimise automated manufacturing solutions, mentor junior engineers and collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality and IT/OT teams to ensure data integrity and compliance with 21 CFR Part 11 and related

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering, Science or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years' experience working with validated automation systems in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Rockwell/Allen-Bradley automation platforms, particularly ControlLogix, Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk View.
• Strong understanding of GMP, GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, CSV, data integrity and change control.
• Proven experience leading automation projects and managing complex technical challenges.

Responsibilities

• Act as the site subject matter expert for Rockwell / Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI systems, providing technical guidance, diagnostics and troubleshooting.
• Lead automation engineering projects from concept and design through execution, commissioning and handover.
• Design, develop, maintain and optimise automation solutions using ControlLogix, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk View SE/ME and FactoryTalk Historian.
• Lead complex technical investigations, root cause analysis and troubleshooting activities to resolve manufacturing automation issues.
• Manage automation change controls, ensuring compliance with GMP requirements, internal procedures and data integrity standards.
• Review and approve automation design documentation, software architecture, technical assessments and validation test plans.
• Work closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, IT/OT and external vendors to deliver reliable automation solutions.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance equipment performance, reliability and manufacturing efficiency.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and oversee external automation contractors.
• Participate in out-of-hours on-call support when required.

Skills

Leadership

Technical mentoring

GMP knowledge

Change control

Troubleshooting

Education

Degree in Engineering, Science or a related technical discipline

Tools

Rockwell / Allen-Bradley

ControlLogix

Studio 5000

FactoryTalk View SE/ME

FactoryTalk Historian

Ignition SCADA

MS SQL

Data integration tools

Job description

Principal Automation Engineer – Rockwell / Allen-Bradley

Location:

Limerick, Ireland

Industry:

Pharmaceutical / Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing

Specialism:

Rockwell Automation | PLC | HMI | GMP Manufacturing

The Opportunity

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Principal Automation Engineer to join a leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Limerick.

This is a senior technical position offering the opportunity to take ownership of critical manufacturing automation systems, lead complex engineering projects and act as the site's subject matter expert for Rockwell / Allen-Bradley technologies.

The successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining, developing and optimising automated manufacturing systems within a highly regulated GMP environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the site subject matter expert for Rockwell / Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI systems, providing technical guidance, diagnostics and troubleshooting.
• Lead automation engineering projects from concept and design through execution, commissioning and handover.
• Design, develop, maintain and optimise automation solutions using ControlLogix, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk View SE/ME and FactoryTalk Historian.
• Lead complex technical investigations, root cause analysis and troubleshooting activities to resolve manufacturing automation issues.
• Manage automation change controls, ensuring compliance with GMP requirements, internal procedures and data integrity standards.
• Review and approve automation design documentation, software architecture, technical assessments and validation test plans.
• Work closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, IT/OT and external vendors to deliver reliable automation solutions.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance equipment performance, reliability and manufacturing efficiency.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and oversee external automation contractors.
• Participate in out-of-hours on-call support when required.
• Degree in Engineering, Science or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years' experience working with validated automation systems in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Rockwell / Allen-Bradley automation platforms, particularly ControlLogix, Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk View.
• Strong understanding of GMP, GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, CSV, data integrity and change control.
• Proven experience leading automation projects and managing complex technical challenges.
• Strong troubleshooting capabilities across PLC, HMI and manufacturing control systems.
• Experience working within pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical or similarly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and technical leadership skills.
• FactoryTalk Historian
• Ignition SCADA
• SEEQ
• Splunk
• MS SQL
• Manufacturing data integration and analytics platforms

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This position offers the opportunity to work with advanced automation technologies in a technically challenging pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.

You will have significant responsibility for automation system performance, technical decision-making and the delivery of engineering improvements, while working alongside experienced multidisciplinary teams.

The role would suit an established Senior Automation Engineer, Lead Automation Engineer or Rockwell Automation Specialist looking to take the next step into a principal-level position.