Automation Engineering Manager, Drug Product Manufacturing Lead

Johnson Johnson; Wilson (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson is seeking an Automation Engineering Manager for Drug Product Manufacturing in Wilson, NC. You will lead the automation team responsible for manufacturing controls, PLC/DCS, SCADA/HMI, and related systems across formulation, aseptic filling, and packaging.

The role drives the automation strategy, lifecycle management, and qualification activities with a focus on data integrity and cybersecurity.

Qualifications

• Experience leading automation teams in pharmaceutical/manufacturing settings.
• Proficient in PLC/DCS control systems, SCADA/HMI, instrumentation and integration with MES.
• Ability to define and implement automation strategy and lifecycle roadmaps.
• Familiarity with cGMP, GAMP 5, data integrity and cybersecurity requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop automation engineering team and delivery organization; oversee resources and performance.
• Define automation strategy, architecture, standards, and lifecycle roadmap; ensure governance for automation delivery.
• Provide end‑to‑end automation leadership from concept through qualification and start‑up.
• Lead design authority for automation solutions across formulation, filling, inspection, device assembly, packaging, robotics, and material handling.
• Oversee PLC/DCS, SCADA/HMI, batch control, vision/inspection, OT networks, and interfaces with MES and historians.
• Review and approve automation work, specifications, narratives, architectures, and change controls.
• Ensure compliance with global standards, cGMP, GAMP 5, data integrity, and cybersecurity.

Skills

Automation leadership

Controls engineering

Project management

Data integrity

Job description

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at jnj.com .

As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual. At Johnson & Johnson, we respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.

• Job Function: Supply Chain Engineering
• Job Sub Function: Automation Engineering
• Job Category: People Leader
• All Job Posting Locations: Wilson, North Carolina, United States of America

Job Description

About Innovative Medicine

Our expertise in Innovative Medicine is informed and inspired by patients, whose insights fuel our science‑based advancements. Visionaries like you work on teams that save lives by developing the medicines of tomorrow.

Join us in developing treatments, finding cures, and pioneering the path from lab to life while championing patients every step of the way.

Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/innovative-medicine

Reporting to the Site Automation Lead, the Automation Engineering Manager, Drug Product Manufacturing Lead provides technical and organizational leadership for Drug Product automation. This is an automation engineering leadership role with direct accountability for manufacturing controls and automation systems; Process Engineering is a key partner but is not the functional scope of this position. The role is accountable for the automation strategy, architecture, design, delivery, qualification, start-up, operational readiness, support, and lifecycle management of automation solutions across formulation, aseptic filling, optical and visual inspection, device assembly, packaging, robotics, material handling, and associated manufacturing interfaces.

The new facility and production processes are envisioned to be highly automated, with data shared across multiple platforms to support production from material receipt through formulation, aseptic filling, inspection, device assembly, packaging and final product disposition. Data generated at each stage of production will be shared across business information and control systems to support process monitoring, advanced analytics, predictive models, operational decision-making, and disposition support.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Drug Product automation team and extended delivery organization, including automation engineers, controls engineers, system integrators, OEM automation teams, and contractors; provide resource planning, technical direction, capability development, performance alignment, and delivery accountability.
• Define and implement the Drug Product automation strategy, technical scope, control‑system architecture, standards, software and configuration practices, and lifecycle roadmap; ensure the resources, governance, and processes required for successful automation delivery are in place.
• Provide end‑to‑end automation engineering leadership from concept and detailed design through controls development, FAT/SAT, construction support, commissioning, qualification, start‑up, handover, troubleshooting, and steady‑state lifecycle support.
• Lead the technical design authority for Drug Product automation solutions supporting formulation, aseptic filling, optical and visual inspection, device assembly, packaging, robotics, and material handling.
• Provide technical oversight of PLC/DCS control systems, SCADA/HMI, batch control, machine and motion control, vision/inspection systems, robotics, industrial networks, OT infrastructure, and interfaces with MES, historians, and other site systems.
• Review and approve automation engineering work, including control strategies, functional and design specifications, control narratives, system architectures, interface definitions, software/configuration standards, FAT/SAT protocols, commissioning and qualification documentation, and automation change controls.
• Ensure automation work and system lifecycle practices comply with global standards, cGMP requirements, GAMP 5 expectations, data integrity principles, cybersecurity controls, and applicable validation requirements.
• Support inspections, risk assessments, investigations, deviations, corrective and preventive actions, and timely remediation activities related to Drug Product automation systems.
• Manage project cost, quality, schedule, scope, resources, and risk; remove obstacles, maintain accurate execution plans, and raise key decisions or issues to