Assoc. Director of Controls Engineering - Pharmaceutical

Management Recruiters International, Inc.; Spokane (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits from day 1

Generous relocation package

Annual bonus 15%

Job summary

Our client is a global BioPharma CDMO seeking an Associate Director of Automation Controls Engineering in Spokane, WA. The role leads a 6-person controls team, overseeing Rockwell PLCs/HMIs and OT systems, with relocation and a strong compensation package.

You will drive strategy, compliance with CFR 21 Part 11, and data integrity across manufacturing facilities, while partnering with QA, Validation, and Manufacturing to enable scalable operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field.
• 10+ years engineering experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
• 5+ years designing manufacturing controls systems, automation and capital project execution.
• Proven leadership experience managing engineering teams and programs.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced Pharma CDMO environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead Controls Engineering with strategic oversight of OT systems (PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, historians).
• Oversee capital and expense projects, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery.
• Ensure regulatory compliance (FDA, cGMP, EU, GAMP5) and data integrity.
• Drive uptime, efficiency, and process improvements through IT/OT collaboration.
• Support audits, deviations, and investigations related to control systems.

Skills

Bachelor's degree

Engineering experience

Controls design

Leadership

CDMO experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or technical field

Professional Engineer - PE License

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLCs

PanelView HMIs

Rockwell/FactoryTalk

Wonderware

Historian systems

Job description

Our client - a global and growing BioPharma CDMO company needs an Associate Director of Automation Controls Engineering at their expanding plant in WA state. Excellent total comp. up to $230K + Full Benefits (from Day 1) + Generous Relocation package.

Job Posting # 2727R

Job Title : Assoc. Director of Controls Engineering - Pharmaceutical

Location: Spokane, WA

Overnight Travel: 10%

Relocation: The client offers a generous full relocation package.

Compensation: Salary range up to $200K base + Annual Bonus (15%)

Full Benefits (from day 1) : , 15 days vacation/Sick time, 10 - Holidays, 401k (match up to 4%).

Company Info:

• Our client is a growing CDMO company in the Pharmaceutical Industry. They are a part of a global parent company with sites in many countries including around 1,300 people at this site in Spokane,WA.
• This is an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization(CDMO) offering specialized Aseptic Sterile manufacturing, filling and lyophilization of drug products in Vials.

Group Info: Lead the Controls Engineering group supporting the existing and expansion site in Spokane, WA. The group will have around 6 controls engineers reporting to this role

Note1: The company recently completed their 3 rd state-of-the-art Sterile Liquid compounding & Vial Filling line and are expanding again with a 4 th line at this site.

Note 2: The primary Controls hardware is RockwellAllen Bradley - PLC using RS Logix, and HMI systems like - PanelView, Wonderware, FactoryTalk studio suite, Fix32, iFix, Proficy Historian etc.

Note 3: This person will report to the Sr. Director of Engineering & Maintenance

Summary:

The Associate Director, Controls Engineering provides is a highly technical individual providing strategic leadership and operational accountability over the company's entire automation philosophy and program development. This includes defining the composition of the Operational Technology (OT) network, developing operational and maintenance procedures and defining hardware and software specifications for all manufacturing and facilities equipment. This role ensures that controls and computer - based systems across the organization are designed, implemented, and maintained in compliance with regulatory requirements and aligned with business objectives that include efficiency to support scaling operations. This position leads controls engineering activities supporting manufacturing, facilities, maintenance, and capital projects, ensuring adherence to Good Engineering Practices (GEP) and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), while driving innovation, process improvement, and operational excellence. This role will define strategies to maintain compliant systems in accordance with all applicable regulations and industry guidance including CFR 21 part 11, Annex 11, EU GMP, PIC/S PI-041 and GAMP 5 covering system integrity, data integrity, audit trail reviews and user role development and access management. This role will work hand in hand with the Validation and Quality Assurance teams to achieve a robust end to end program.

Job Description:

• Leadership & Strategy: Provide leadership and technical oversight for the Controls Engineering function, building a culture of accountability and excellence in delivery and customer service. Establish a talent development and succession plan. Develop and execute long-term controls strategy aligned with corporate growth, compliance, and digital transformation initiatives. Develop efficient tools to effectively evaluate areas of opportunity, and deliver short term objectives to improve robust and consistent operations
• Controls Engineering & OT Systems: Provide expert oversight of OT system definition, including PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, historians, and networked control systems. Establish viable solutions to accommodate off line recipe management, retrieval and archival, data historian, and streamlined audit trail functionally and review. Ensure reliability, security, and lifecycle management of automation and controls systems across the site. Equip team to effectively diagnose and resolve complex control system issues, I a timely and complaint manner, providing technical guidance when needed.
• Capital Projects & Execution: Manage engineering resources and external partners (A&E firms, vendors, contractors) to support project delivery. Oversee and execute controls-related capital and expense projects, including facilities and equipment expansions, compliance upgrades, and process improvements. Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned with JHS project management standards.
• Compliance & Quality: Ensure all controls systems and engineering activities comply with local, state, federal, and international regulatory requirements (FDA, cGMP, EU and Annexes). Maintain systems and documentation in alignment with GAMP5, data integrity standards, and quality expectations.
• Operational Support & Continuous Improvement: Support manufacturing and maintenance teams with technical expertise to drive uptime, efficiency, and process optimization driving OEE metrics. Enable comprehensive access and reporting to critical performance data. Lead initiatives for cost reduction, automation enhancements, and process improvements. Support investigations, deviations, and root cause analysis related to control systems with a goal of deviation reduction.
• Stakeholder & Communication: Communicate project status, risks, and priorities to senior leadership. Partner cross-functionally with QA, Manufacturing, Validation, MS&T, and external stakeholders. Support client audits, regulatory inspections, and technical visits.

Candidate Must Have:

• Bachelor's degree in a technical & related field.
• 10+ years in engineering experience in the pharmaceutical industry
• 5+ years of designing manufacturing controls systems, automation and capital project execution
• Proven leadership experience managing engineering teams and programs
• Ability to work in a fast-paced Pharma contract Manufacturing organization (CDMO)

Candidate Nice to Have:

• Degree in Engineering - Automation, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial,
• Advanced degree in Engineering
• Applicable ISPE certifications, ISA Certified Automation Professional, Certification in Automation and Data Analytics or similar.
• Allen-Bradley PLCs, PanelView HMIs, Servo Drives
• Rockwell/FactoryTalk, Wonderware, Historian systems
• GAMP5, Data Integrity, validation lifecycle
• TCP/IP networking and industrial control systems
• Pharmaceutica l aseptic processing and equipment lifecycle Mgmt.

• Professional Engineer - PE License

• ISPE GAMP Essentials
• ISPE Good Engineering Practices
• ISPE Biopharmaceutical Essentials
• Parenteral Drug Association Aseptic Processing
• Parenteral Drug Association Annex 1
• Parenteral Drug Association Manage your Isolator for Aseptic Processing
• PMI Project Management Professional - PMP

Keywords: Projects, Assoc. Director, Manager, Sr. Manager Automation, Controls, Pharma, CDMO, manufacturing, plant, FDA, GMP, Sterile Aseptic liquid filling, Isolators, Clean rooms, Lyophilization, contract Manufacturing, PE, PMP, GAMP.