Automation Engineer

Actalent; Skokie (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HSA Health Plan

Company contributions to deductible

401(k) Plan: Company contribution 5%

Life Insurance

Short-Term Disability

Long-Term Disability

Paid Holidays

Paid Time Off

Tuition Reimbursement

Childcare Reimbursement

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Job summary

Actalent is seeking an experienced Automation Engineer to support and maintain building automation, PLC, HVAC, and utility systems in a regulated manufacturing environment in Skokie, IL.

The role emphasizes troubleshooting, leading automation projects, and ensuring cGMP compliance while coordinating contractors and on-call support to maintain system reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field preferred.
• 3–7 years of experience; pharma or food industry preferred.
• Experience with automation, facilities, utilities, and process control systems.

Responsibilities

• Support and maintain BMS, PLC, HVAC, and utility systems.
• Troubleshoot, analyze, and diagnose PLC and automation issues.
• Lead automation projects, upgrades, repairs, and change controls.
• Ensure cGMP compliance and maintain engineering documentation.
• Develop solutions to improve system performance and reliability.
• Manage system lifecycle, maintenance activities, and spare parts.
• Create and maintain SOPs, specifications, and SAP procedures.
• Coordinate contractors, equipment installations, startups, and qualifications.
• Participate in on-call support and respond to critical system failures.
• Support audits, inspections, root cause investigations, and system recovery.

Skills

BMS

PLC Troubleshooting

Siemens PLCs

Facilities Maintenance

Process Control Systems

HVAC & Utilities

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

3-7 years experience (pharma/food preferred)

Microsoft Office proficiency

Job description

Overview

Provides support and maintenance for building automation, process control, utility, and HVAC systems in a regulated manufacturing environment. Responsible for troubleshooting, system reliability, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Support and maintain BMS, PLC, HVAC, and utility systems
• Troubleshoot, analyze, and diagnose PLC and automation issues
• Lead automation projects, upgrades, repairs, and change controls
• Ensure cGMP compliance and maintain engineering documentation
• Develop solutions to improve system performance and reliability
• Manage system lifecycle, maintenance activities, and spare parts
• Create and maintain SOPs, specifications, and SAP procedures
• Coordinate contractors, equipment installations, startups, and qualifications
• Participate in on-call support and respond to critical system failures
• Support audits, inspections, root cause investigations, and system recovery

Required Skills

• Building Automation Systems (BMS)
• PLC Troubleshooting & Integration
• Siemens PLCs (PCS7, Desigo CC, PX Controllers)
• Facilities Maintenance
• Process Control Systems
• HVAC & Utilities Infrastructure

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field preferred
• 3-7 years of experience (pharma or food industry preferred)
• Experience with automation, facilities, utilities, and process control systemsProficient with Microsoft Office

Experience Level:

Intermediate (3-7 years)

Job Type & Location

Permanent position based out of Skokie, IL.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $100000.00 - $125000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

• HSA Health Plan: Premiums are 100% company paid.
• In addition, the company contributes $5,000 toward the deductible for family coverage or $2,500 toward the deductible for single coverage.
• 401(k) Plan: Company contribution of 5% of eligible compensation (not a matching contribution).
• Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability: 100% company paid.
• Paid Holidays: 11 company-observed holidays annually.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) New Hire to 3 Years of Service: 20 days per year (13.333 hours accrued per month)
• 3 to 9 Years of Service: 30 days per year (20.0 hours accrued per month)
• 10 to 14 Years of Service: 33 days per year (22.0 hours accrued per month)
• 15+ Years of Service: 35 days per year (23.333 hours accrued per month)
• Additional Benefits Tuition Reimbursement (waiting list model): o Bachelor's Degree: Up to $30,000 o Master's Degree: Up to $30,000 o Ph.D.: Up to $30,000 Childcare Reimbursement: Up to $2,000 annually.
• Dental Insurance: Employee-paid.
• Vision Insurance: Employee-paid.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 17, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Skokie, IL.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.