Automation Engineer

Pfizer; Rocky Mount (NC); On-site; USD 69,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with matching

Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution

Paid vacation, holidays and personal:

Health benefits: medical, dental, and

Job summary

Pfizer is seeking an engineer to support production-critical automation and digital systems on premise in the United States. You will ensure system reliability, respond to issues, and maintain compliant validation and change controls while collaborating with Operations, Engineering, and Digital teams.

Responsibilities include troubleshooting, maintaining lifecycle documentation, and supporting system changes. A 24x7 support expectation is noted, with strong emphasis on GMP and safety practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 0+ years of experience; OR an associate's degree with 4 years; OR high school diploma with 6 years of experience.
• Hands-on experience with engineering design and validation.
• Organizational skills to meet project deadlines.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with automated systems and equipment.
• Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Ability to provide 24x7x365 support for automation systems.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day operation and technical performance of production-critical automation and digital systems to maintain system reliability and production continuity.
• Troubleshoot automation system issues and support investigations, deviations, unplanned events, escalation, recovery, and root-cause data gathering.
• Maintain automation systems in a validated and compliant state by following change management, validation, engineering, and documentation practices.
• Develop and maintain lifecycle documentation, including SOPs, system specs, change records, incidents, and resolutions.
• Operate and support control systems and automation infrastructure (DCS, PLC, SCADA, HMI, PC-based systems).
• Support installation, testing, commissioning, and implementation of automation system and software changes.
• Participate in business continuity planning, system recovery testing, regulatory inspections, and audits.
• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, and Digital & Automation partners on cross-functional problem-solving and standardization.

Skills

Engineering design

Validation

Problem solving

Communication skills

24x7 support

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Associate's degree + 4 years experience

Tools

DCS

PLC

SCADA

HMI

Job description

Use Your Power for Purpose

Whether you are involved in the design and development of manufacturing processes for products or supporting maintenance and reliability, engineering is crucial to ensuring customers and patients receive the medicines they need, precisely when they need them. By collaborating with our forward-thinking engineering team, you'll play a key role in accelerating the delivery of medicines to the world. Your innovative ideas and proactive actions will help us imagine new possibilities and bring them to life, ensuring that vital medications reach those in need more swiftly and efficiently. Your contributions will be instrumental in enhancing manufacturing information systems, boosting success rates, and ensuring zero downtime.

By integrating manufacturing processes, operational knowledge, equipment control, and data into cohesive systems, you will enforce seamless operations across various departments. Your dedication will be pivotal in meeting project objectives and goals, fostering a collaborative team environment, and driving your colleagues towards success.

What You Will Achieve

• Support day-to-day operation and technical performance of production-critical automation and digital systems to maintain system reliability and production continuity.
• Troubleshoot automation system issues and support investigations, deviations, unplanned events, escalation, recovery, and root-cause data gathering.
• Maintain automation systems in a validated and compliant state by following established change management, validation, engineering, and documentation practices.
• Develop and maintain lifecycle documentation, including standard operating procedures, system specifications, change records, incident documentation, and resolution steps.
• Operate and support control systems and automation infrastructure, including DCS, PLC, SCADA, HMI, and PC-based production systems.
• Support the installation, testing, commissioning, and implementation of automation system and software changes using approved processes and coding standards.
• Participate in business continuity planning, system recovery testing, regulatory inspections, and audits to support operational resilience and compliance.
• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, and Digital and Automation partners on cross-functional problem-solving, standardization, and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance system reliability and performance.
• Execute Good Manufacturing Practices and verification protocols.
• Provide continuous 24x7x365 support for automation systems.
• Monitor and identify issues to develop preventative solutions.
• Support the development of Preventive Maintenance Procedures for process control systems.
• Adhere to safe work practices consistently.
• Contribute to project milestones, organize work to meet deadlines, and communicate progress and issues to peers.
• Learn and apply basic team effectiveness skills within the immediate Work Team.
• Make decisions to resolve basic problems with limited options and decision-making authority, under supervisor's direction.
• Work in a structured environment using established procedures, seeking guidance from colleagues, with regular reviews for technical judgment, completeness, and accuracy, relying on the supervisor's judgment.

Here Is What You Need (Minimum Requirements)

• Applicant must have a bachelor's degree with 0+ years of experience; OR an associate's degree with 4 years of experience; OR a high school diploma (or equivalent) and 6 years of relevant experience
• Hands-on experience with engineering design and validation.
• Demonstrated organizational skills to meet project task deadlines effectively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with automated systems and equipment.
• Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Ability to provide 24x7x365 support for automation systems.

Bonus Points If You Have (Preferred Requirements)

• Experience supporting automation control systems in pharmaceutical industry engineering.
• Knowledge of automation systems such as PLC, SCADA, and HMI.
• Familiarity with Preventive Maintenance Procedures for process control systems.
• Ability to monitor issues and develop preventative solutions.
• Experience with manufacturing information systems.
• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills.
• Experience using common AI tools, including generative technologies such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, to support problem solving and enhance productivity.
• Demonstrated curiosity for exploring how these tools can improve outcomes and understanding of responsible AI practices, including risk management and ethical use.

Work Location

Work Location Assignment: On Premise

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $68,600.00 to $114,300.00. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 7.5% of the base salary.

• Benefits offered include a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage.

Learn more at Pfizer Candidate Site – U.S. Benefits | (uscandidates.mypfizerbenefits.com).

Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

Candidates must be authorized to be employed in the U.S. by any employer.

U.S. work visa sponsorship (such as TN, O-1, H-1B, etc.) is not available for this role now or in the future.

This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.

To learn more about acceptable and prohibited uses of AI during the recruitment process, please review our candidate AI-use guidelines available on Pfizer Careers.

Sunshine Act

Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider’s name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure.

Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government.

EEO & Employment Eligibility

Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA.

Pfizer is an E-Verify employer. This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.

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Engineering Pfizer careers are like no other. In our culture of individual ownership, we believe in our ability to improve future healthcare, and potential to transform millions of lives. We’re looking for new talent to join our global community, to unearth new innovative therapies that make the world a healthier place.