OSD Manufacturing Expertise Automation Engineer

Horizon Controls Group; Leiden; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizon Controls Group in Leiden, Netherlands is looking for an experienced OSD Manufacturing Expertise Automation Engineer. You'll support design, integration, and lifecycle management of automation systems in a pharmaceutical setting.

The role demands a solid combination of engineering and manufacturing process expertise, focusing on automation solutions for tablet manufacturing and utilities integration. Ideal candidates possess strong compliance and problem-solving skills, with significant experience in regulated environments.

Qualifications

• Significant automation engineering experience in pharmaceutical or regulated manufacturing environments.
• Hands-on experience with PLC, SCADA, HMI, batch control systems, and industrial automation platforms.
• Strong understanding of GMP, GAMP5, ISA-88, ISA-95, and pharmaceutical validation requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, configuration, and optimisation of OSD manufacturing automation systems.
• Collaborate with various teams to support production readiness and process optimisation.
• Troubleshoot complex automation and process control issues within live manufacturing operations.

Skills

Automation engineering

Process optimisation

Technical leadership

GMP compliance

Problem-solving

Education

Degree in Automation, Electrical, Chemical, Process, Pharmaceutical Engineering or related

Tools

PLC

SCADA

HMI

Batch control systems

Job description

OSD Manufacturing Expertise Automation Engineer

Leiden, Netherlands | Posted on 05/11/2026

Horizon Controls Group is seeking an experienced Oral Solid Dosage (OSD) Manufacturing Expertise Automation Engineer to support the design, integration, optimisation, and lifecycle management of automation systems within a highly advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.

This role requires a strong combination of automation engineering capability and deep manufacturing process expertise within Oral Solid Dosage operations. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across OSD process automation, supporting both capital projects and operational manufacturing systems while ensuring compliance with GMP, data integrity, and Lilly engineering standards.

The position will focus heavily on automation solutions supporting tablet manufacturing, coating technologies, spray drying operations, and integration of critical utility systems including CIP, purified water systems, and process tanks.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide automation engineering expertise for Oral Solid Dosage manufacturing processes across production and project environments.
• Lead the design, development, configuration, and optimisation of automation systems supporting OSD manufacturing equipment and utilities.
• Support automation strategies for tablet presses, coating systems, spray drying technologies, and associated material handling processes.
• Develop and maintain PLC, HMI, batch, and process control logic to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient manufacturing operations.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing, process engineering, CQV, quality, maintenance, and digital teams to support production readiness and process optimisation.
• Support integration of manufacturing equipment with utilities and site-wide automation infrastructure, including CIP systems, purified water systems, tanks, and process utilities.
• Participate in automation architecture reviews, process hazard assessments, FAT/SAT execution, commissioning, qualification, and startup activities.
• Troubleshoot complex automation and process control issues within live manufacturing operations.
• Support data integration, historian systems, MES interfaces, and manufacturing reporting solutions where applicable.
• Develop and review technical documentation including functional specifications, control narratives, IO lists, test protocols, and change controls.
• Ensure all automation activities comply with GMP, GAMP5, ISA-88, ISA-95, cybersecurity, and data integrity requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives focused on process efficiency, reliability, and operational excellence.

Required Technical Expertise

OSD Manufacturing Process Knowledge

The successful candidate must demonstrate strong hands‑on understanding and automation support experience within the following process areas:

• Tablet Presses and Coating Systems – Experience supporting automated tablet compression equipment, coating systems, recipe management, batch sequencing, and process optimisation within OSD manufacturing environments.
• Spray Drying Processes – Strong process and automation understanding of spray drying operations, including process control strategies, temperature and airflow control, material handling, and process monitoring. This is considered a key requirement for the role.
• Utilities Integration – Experience integrating manufacturing systems with process utilities including CIP systems, purified water systems, process tanks, skids, and associated utility automation infrastructure.

Requirements

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Degree in Automation, Electrical, Chemical, Process, Pharmaceutical, or related Engineering discipline.
• Significant automation engineering experience within pharmaceutical or regulated manufacturing environments.
• Strong expertise supporting OSD manufacturing processes and associated process equipment.
• Hands‑on experience with PLC, SCADA, HMI, batch control systems, and industrial automation platforms.
• Proven capability in automation system design, troubleshooting, commissioning, and operational support.
• Strong understanding of GMP, GAMP5, ISA‑88, ISA‑95, and pharmaceutical validation requirements.
• Experience supporting commissioning, FAT/SAT, IQ/OQ, and startup activities.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary projects and operational teams.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem‑solving skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting large‑scale pharmaceutical manufacturing projects.
• Exposure to MES systems, historian platforms, or digital manufacturing initiatives.
• Experience within continuous manufacturing or advanced process control environments.
• Familiarity with data analytics, process optimisation, or Industry 4.0 technologies.
• Previous experience in greenfield pharmaceutical facility projects.
• Deep OSD manufacturing process expertise.
• Strong automation and controls engineering capability.
• Technical leadership and stakeholder collaboration.
• High attention to quality and compliance.
• Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills.
• Continuous improvement and innovation mindset.