Principal Engineer, Digital Support Operations

Msd Ireland; Dunboyne; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Ireland seeks a Principal Engineer to provide technical leadership for automation and process control in Upstream Drug Substance Manufacturing at the Dunboyne site.

You will act as the senior DeltaV expert, guiding programming, configuration and lifecycle activities while upholding GMP standards. Working with Manufacturing, MS&T, Engineering and Quality, you will drive continuous improvement, support technology transfers and align automation practices across four suites.

Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of Emerson DeltaV Distributed Control Systems.
• Advanced DeltaV programming and configuration experience.
• Strong understanding of process control principles and batch automation.
• Experience in GMP-regulated biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex manufacturing issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead DeltaV automation for Upstream Manufacturing operations.
• Design, implement, test and optimise DeltaV control strategies and batch logic.
• Investigate manufacturing and automation issues and drive improvements.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, MS&T and Engineering to standardise practices.
• Support life cycle management, commissioning, qualification and validation.

Skills

Emerson DeltaV expertise

DeltaV programming

Process control strategies

Batch automation

Troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Stakeholder management

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Engineering/Automation

Tools

DeltaV

GMP systems

Job description

Job Description

Our Dunboyne site is seeking an experienced Principal Engineer to provide technical leadership for automation and process control systems supporting Upstream Drug Substance Manufacturing.

The successful candidate will serve as the site's senior DeltaV technical expert for Upstream operations, supporting manufacturing performance across four Drug Substance manufacturing suites. This role requires deep expertise in Emerson DeltaV Distributed Control Systems (DCS), process control strategies, batch automation, troubleshooting and system optimisation within a regulated biopharmaceutical manufacturing environment.

Working closely with Manufacturing, MS&T, Engineering, Quality and Digital teams, the Principal Engineer will play a critical role in resolving complex manufacturing issues, implementing continuous improvement initiatives and supporting new product introductions.

The role will also partner closely with the equivalent Downstream Manufacturing support lead to drive standardisation, knowledge sharing and alignment of automation practices across the site.

This position is ideally suited to a highly technical automation professional who combines strong DeltaV programming expertise with a deep understanding of Drug Substance manufacturing processes.

Bring Energy, Knowledge, Innovation To Carry Out The Following:

• Serve as the technical lead for DeltaV automation systems supporting Upstream Manufacturing operations.
• Provide advanced DeltaV programming, configuration, troubleshooting and system optimisation support.
• Lead technical investigations into manufacturing, process control and automation-related issues.
• Design, develop, test and implement DeltaV control strategy and batch logic changes.
• Support manufacturing operations through rapid issue resolution and performance improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Manufacturing, MS&T and Engineering teams to optimise process control strategies and improve operational reliability.
• Support automation aspects of new product introductions, technology transfers and process improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation enhancements, standardisation and data-driven problem solving.
• Support commissioning, qualification, validation and lifecycle management activities for automation systems.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, quality and change management requirements.
• Collaborate closely with the Downstream Manufacturing automation lead to align standards, best practices and technical solutions across the site.
• Mentor and develop automation engineers, contractors and technical team members.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will:

• Act as the site's recognised Upstream DeltaV Subject Matter Expert.
• Improve manufacturing reliability and process robustness through effective automation support.
• Deliver high-quality DeltaV solutions that enable operational excellence and right-first-time performance.
• Support successful implementation of continuous improvement initiatives and future product introductions.
• Partner effectively with the Downstream Manufacturing support lead to establish consistent automation standards across all four Drug Substance manufacturing suites.

What Skills You Will Need

In order to excel in this role, you will more than likely have:

• Essential skills:
• Expert knowledge of Emerson DeltaV Distributed Control Systems.
• Advanced DeltaV programming and configuration experience.
• Strong understanding of process control principles, batch automation, interlocks, alarm management and control strategies.
• Deep understanding of Drug Substance manufacturing operations.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex manufacturing and automation issues.
• Strong analytical and root cause investigation skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
• Desirable skills:
• Experience supporting both upstream and downstream bioprocessing operations.
• Knowledge of advanced process control and digital manufacturing technologies.
• DeltaV certification or equivalent experience.
• Experience:
• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering, Automation, Electrical, Chemical, Process Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of automation experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences manufacturing.
• Significant experience supporting DeltaV-based manufacturing environments.
• Experience developing and maintaining batch automation and process control strategies.
• Proven experience supporting Drug Substance manufacturing operations within a GMP-regulated environment.
• Demonstrated success delivering automation improvements that enhance manufacturing performance, reliability and compliance.
• Experience supporting technology transfers, process improvements and new product introductions.

We keep the patient at the very heart of all that we do and strive to find solutions and treatments for some of the world's most challenging healthcare needs.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. Please don't hesitate to contact the Talent Acquisition Advisor assigned to this role should you need any support during our recruitment process.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status

Regular

Flexible Work Arrangements

Not Applicable

Job Posting End Date

10/2/2026

• A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID: R405829