Automation Engineer (m/w/d)

Elanco; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

40-hour work week

30 days annual leave

Meal allowance subsidy

Health and fitness programs

Pension plan contributions

Regular team events

Job summary

Elanco is seeking an Automation Engineer – Operations to own the stable operation of Operational Technology (OT) systems in daily plant use. You will focus on system availability, rapid troubleshooting, backup management, maintenance, and implementing changes within GMP-compliant processes.

You will bridge the technology infrastructure with shop-floor production, ensuring vaccines manufacturing runs smoothly, securely, and compliantly. Fluency in German and good English are required.

Qualifications

• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to work under pressure to resolve production-critical issues.
• Strong communication skills to interface with both technical and non-technical stakeholders on the shop floor.
• Cross-functional partnership as the primary day-to-day OT interface for production and maintenance teams.

Responsibilities

• Rapidly diagnose and troubleshoot OT system issues affecting production to minimize downtime and ensure continuous manufacturing operations.
• Maintain PLC, SCADA, and HMI systems in a qualified and usable state.
• Execute and monitor critical system backups, restores, and disaster recovery routines.
• Implement approved software patches, updates, and operational changes in accordance with OT security policies.
• Support deviation investigations, root cause analyses, and ensure change documentation within GMP-regulated environment.
• Serve as the primary OT interface and technical resource for production and maintenance teams.

Skills

Problem solving

Communication

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical/Automation/CS

Tools

PLC systems

SCADA systems

HMI systems

OT network security

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) - it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose - all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better - join our team today!

Lohmann Animal Health GmbH – a global leader specializing in the production of poultry vaccines – has been part of Elanco since 2014. With our innovative products and services, we strive to take responsibility for the community and enrich the lives of both people and animals. Our vaccines are exported to more than 70 countries worldwide. With more than 180 employees and a long-standing company history, Lohmann Animal Health GmbH offers an exciting, international, and impactful working environment.

We are seeking a dedicated Automation Engineer – Operations to take ownership of the stable operation of our Operational Technology (OT) systems in daily plant use. In this critical role, you will focus on system availability, rapid troubleshooting, robust backup management, maintenance execution, and the safe implementation of operational changes. You will act as the vital bridge between our technology infrastructure and shop-floor production, ensuring our vaccine manufacturing processes run smoothly, securely, and in full compliance with regulatory standards.

Primary Responsibilities

• System Troubleshooting & Uptime: Rapidly diagnose and troubleshoot OT system issues affecting production to minimize downtime and ensure continuous manufacturing operations.
• System Maintenance: Maintain Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) systems in their fully qualified and usable state.
• Data Security & Continuity: Execute and monitor critical system backups, restores, and disaster recovery routines to ensure data integrity and operational continuity.
• OT Compliance & Security: Implement approved software patches, updates, and operational changes in strict accordance with site OT security policies and procedures.
• Quality & Compliance Support: Actively support deviation investigations, root cause analyses, and ensure meticulous change documentation within our GMP-regulated environment.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Serve as the primary day-to-day OT interface and technical resource for the production and maintenance teams.

Basic Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field (or equivalent combination of education and hands-on experience).
• Proven experience in troubleshooting, and operation of PLC, SCADA, and HMI systems in an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of OT network architecture, industrial cybersecurity basics, and backup/recovery protocols.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to work effectively under pressure to resolve production-critical issues.
• Strong communication skills to effectively interface with both technical and non-technical stakeholders on the shop floor.
• Fluency in German and a good command of English.

What we offer you

• Performance-based and attractive compensation, including participation in company success
• Employer contribution to pension plans
• 40-hour work week
• 30 days of annual leave
• Meal allowance subsidy
• Regular team events
• Health and fitness programs as well as access to Corporate Benefits
• Freedom for personal initiative and opportunities for individual professional development
• Working in a dynamic team within an international company

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job-related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.