Associate Director, Automation Controls – Pharma CDMO

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 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.