Automation Engineer

Penn Life Sciences; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus eligibility

401(k) match

Paid time off

10 company holidays

Medical/dental/vision/life insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Penn Life Sciences is seeking an Automation Engineer to design, implement, and maintain automation and control systems across GMP manufacturing and facility operations.

You will lead PLC, HMI, SCADA, and machine vision initiatives, troubleshoot complex issues, and support capital projects, validation, and data integrity requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Automation/Controls engineering or closely related field.
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on automation/controls experience in regulated manufacturing.
• Experience with PLC, HMI, SCADA, and machine vision in pharma/biotech/medical device environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain automation and control solutions for manufacturing and facility equipment.
• Troubleshoot automation and controls issues to improve uptime and reliability.
• Develop and modify PLC logic, HMI configurations, and SCADA interfaces according to validated requirements.
• Support machine vision inspection systems and optimize performance.
• Lead or support equipment introductions, upgrades, FAT/SAT, commissioning and startup.
• Support validation and change control, risk assessments, and data integrity activities.
• Maintain up-to-date automation documentation and baselines.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality, Validation, and Engineering to resolve issues and drive improvements.
• Evaluate system performance and identify opportunities for standardization and efficiency improvements.
• Support external vendors and integrators during installation and troubleshooting.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI

SCADA

Machine vision

Automation hardware

Industrial networking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Automation/Controls engineering

Tools

Machine vision systems

Job description

The Automation Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining, and improving automation and control systems that support GMP manufacturing and facility operations. This role provides technical leadership and hands‑on support for PLC, HMI, SCADA, and equipment control systems, including manufacturing systems integrated with machine‑vision inspection technology. The Automation Engineer will troubleshoot complex automation issues, support new equipment and capital projects, and ensure automated systems operate reliably, safely, and in compliance with applicable regulatory, validation, and data integrity requirements. This position partners closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Validation, Engineering, and external vendors to support equipment performance, operational readiness, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, maintain, and optimize automation and control solutions for manufacturing and facility equipment, including PLC, HMI, SCADA, instrumentation interfaces, and machine‑integrated vision systems.
• Troubleshoot complex automation and controls issues affecting production or utilities systems, perform root cause analysis, and implement sustainable corrective actions to improve reliability and uptime.
• Develop, modify, and maintain PLC logic, HMI configurations, SCADA interfaces, and related control system software in accordance with approved standards and validated requirements.
• Provide technical support for machine vision inspection systems used within manufacturing operations, including troubleshooting, configuration support, and performance optimization.
• Lead or support automation activities related to new equipment introductions, system upgrades, and capital projects, including user requirements, vendor coordination, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and startup support.
• Support validation and compliance activities for automated systems, including change control, risk assessments, testing, documentation, backup management, access control, and data integrity expectations.
• Maintain accurate, current, and inspection‑ready automation documentation, including control narratives, network architecture, I/O lists, alarm configurations, software change records, and system baselines.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Manufacturing, Quality, Validation, Facilities, and Engineering to resolve technical issues and support reliable, compliant operations.
• Evaluate automation system performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement, standardization, and increased operational efficiency.
• Support external vendors, contractors, and integrators during system installation, qualification, maintenance, and troubleshooting activities.

What We're Looking For

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of hands‑on automation or controls engineering experience in a regulated manufacturing environment, preferably pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device.
• Demonstrated experience supporting PLC, HMI, and SCADA systems across the full system lifecycle, including design, implementation, commissioning, startup, and ongoing operational support.
• Direct hands‑on experience with machine vision inspection systems in a manufacturing environment is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience troubleshooting complex automation and control systems in uptime‑critical production environments.
• Experience supporting validated or regulated systems in a cGMP environment is strongly preferred.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Automation Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline required.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Strong proficiency in PLC programming, troubleshooting, and online diagnostics.
• Experience supporting HMI and SCADA platforms, including alarms, trends, user access, and system interfaces.
• Strong working knowledge of automation hardware, field instrumentation, and industrial control system architecture.
• Hands‑on experience with machine vision systems used for automated inspection or equipment‑integrated manufacturing applications.
• Working knowledge of industrial networking and communications protocols such as Ethernet/IP, Modbus TCP, or similar.
• Familiarity with cGMP expectations for automated systems, including change management, validation support, access control, backup practices, and data integrity.
• Strong technical writing, problem‑solving, and communication skills with the ability to work effectively across departments and with external vendors.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation with annual performance bonus eligibility
• Annual merit‑based pay increases
• Automatic enrollment in a 401(k) at 3% pre‑tax with 50% company match on the first 6% contributed
• Paid Time Off
• 10 paid company holidays
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage
• Tuition reimbursement for children and childcare expense reimbursement

Schedule

• Full‑time, on‑site position (Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)