Automation Engineer-Engineer Equip Dev

100 Eli Lilly and Company; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 68,000 - 174,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Pension

Vacation benefits

Health benefits (medical, dental, vis)

Flexible benefits

Life Insurance

Time off

Well-being

Job summary

The Automation Engineer at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis drives electrical system design and software development for automated manufacturing equipment within the Equipment Development Group. You will specify components, develop PLC/HMI programs, and apply machine vision to support global manufacturing initiatives.

The role collaborates with engineering, quality, and operations, delivering validation and safety documentation while mentoring EDG staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related science.
• 3+ years’ experience in automation machine control or equivalent.
• Authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis.
• Lilly will not sponsor work authorization or visas for this role.

Responsibilities

• Provide electrical system design and architecture for automated manufacturing equipment.
• Perform electrical design, software design and debugging using Allen‑Bradley PLC RS Logix, FactoryTalk View and Microsoft development environments.
• Create validation and safety documentation, including FAT and machine safety reports.
• Provide automation leadership on capital projects and partner with system integrators and internal teams.
• Develop understanding of Lilly’s manufacturing processes and monitor automation standards and emerging tech.
• Support cross‑functional collaboration and continuous improvement across diverse work environments.

Skills

Allen-Bradley PLC

HMI design

Machine vision

PLC programming

Electrical design

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

RSLogix

FactoryTalk View

Visual Basic

Visual C++

Job description

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life‑changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing.

If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Job Position Overview:

The Automation Engineer is a member of the Equipment Development Group (EDG) within the Engineering Technology Center (ETC). EDG’s mission is to provide innovative engineering and equipment solutions in support of customers across Lilly’s global research, development, and manufacturing communities by integrating new and established technologies—both internally and through external suppliers—to create world‑class solutions for a wide variety of technical challenges. The Automation Engineer is responsible for problem‑solving, electronic systems design, software architecture, and coding, and is accomplished in automated systems design and programming utilizing Allen‑Bradley PLC controllers, ladder logic development tools, HMI environments, and machine vision applications. The role supports capital project delivery, contributes to validation and qualification activities, and provides global technical consultation to Lilly manufacturing sites and development teams.

Responsibilities:

• Provide electrical system design and architecture for automated manufacturing equipment
• Perform electrical design (component specification, UL compliance, and schematic creation/approval), software design, coding, and debugging using Allen‑Bradley PLC RS Logix, FactoryTalk View HMI, and Microsoft development environments, contributing to project requirements documents and machine vision application development
• Create validation and safety documentation, including FAT execution and machine safety reports, ensuring automation designs incorporate appropriate safety controls and risk mitigation
• Provide automation leadership on capital projects, partnering with system integrators and internal teams to deliver designs that meet requirements, optimize life‑cycle cost, and leverage replication and best practices
• Develop broad understanding of Lilly’s manufacturing processes and lifecycle, monitor external automation standards, evaluate emerging technologies, mentor EDG staff, and support corporate initiatives like cybersecurity and engineering information management
• Champion safe, compliant, and effective operations by supporting departmental activities, maintaining HSE compliance, fostering cross‑functional collaboration, and promoting continuous improvement across diverse work environments

Basic Qualifications:

• Education Level: Bachelor's in engineering or related science
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in automation machine control, process control, or equivalent with demonstrated proficiency in Allen‑Bradley PLC/HMI platforms (PLC RS Logix, FactoryTalk View, Microsoft Visual Basic, and/or Visual C++) and machine vision applications
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis.
• Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F‑1 CPT, F‑1 OPT, F‑1 STEM OPT, J‑1, H‑1B, TN, O‑1, E‑3, H‑1B1, or L‑1.

Additional Skills/Preferences:

• UL 508A Manufacturer Technical Representative (MTR) certification
• Experience in a pharmaceutical manufacturing or related life science field, including familiarity with GAMP 5.0 design guidelines and experience working with validated automation systems in a GMP‑regulated environment
• Experience in system integration design and delivery, including management of external system integrators and outsource automation partners on capital projects
• Experience in automation system project delivery and major capital projects, including schedule and cost management and collaboration with other Lilly asset delivery teams.
• Experience with robotic systems integration in manufacturing automation applications, including design, programming, integration, and commissioning of robotic assembly or handling systems
• Expertise in one or more automation platforms including Rockwell Automation (Allen‑Bradley), Siemens (TIA Portal), and/or Emerson DeltaV, with demonstrated ability to apply platform expertise to diverse manufacturing automation challenges
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Products and demonstrated oral and written communication skills; strong collaborative skills with experience working effectively in cross‑functional project teams spanning engineering, quality, operations, and external vendor partners

Additional Information:

Position Location: US: Indianapolis IN Tech Center South Travel Percentage (%): ~15% on average; some international travel required; significant domestic and international travel may be required during active capital project delivery phases. Shift Information: Standard 8‑hour day, Monday through Friday, with some allowance for flex time; overtime and some weekend or holiday work may be required to support global site engagement across time zones and business needs.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.

The anticipated wage for this position is $67,500 - $173,800. Full‑time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).

Benefits:

• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k)
• Pension
• Vacation benefits
• Eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits
• Flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts)
• Life insurance and death benefits
• Certain time off and leave of absence benefits
• Well‑being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities)

Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).

At Lilly we strive to ensure our employees are part of a team that cares about them and our shared purpose of making life better for those around the world. How do we do this? We continue to look for ways to include, innovate, accelerate and deliver while maintaining integrity, excellence and respect for people. We hope that you seek to join us on our journey as we create medicine and deliver improved outcomes for patients across the globe!