Cell Therapy Digital Manufacturing & Automation Lead

AstraZeneca plc; California (MD); On-site; USD 124,000 - 186,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Short-term incentive bonuses

Equity-based awards

Health, dental, and vision coverage

Retirement programs

Job summary

AstraZeneca plc is seeking an Associate Director for Digital Manufacturing & Automation to lead design, implementation, and continuous improvement of next‑gen manufacturing platforms across Cell Therapy operations.

You will own MES/LIMS deployments, robotics integration, and process orchestration, partnering with OT/IT, Quality, and Product teams to enable compliant, scalable digital manufacturing across global sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Automation Engineering, Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years in manufacturing systems, digital manufacturing, MES implementation, or automation engineering
• Strong technical product ownership or program management experience leading complex manufacturing system implementations
• Experience with MES/LIMS platforms in pharmaceutical, biotech, cell therapy, or regulated manufacturing
• Hands-on experience with Tulip platform or similar low-code manufacturing platforms
• Experience integrating manufacturing automation systems, robotics, environmental monitoring, and OT systems
• Technical integration expertise: API development and integration; Middleware platforms (HighByte, OPC-UA, MQTT); File system management (SMB, NFS) and scripting; Database design and connectivity; Event-driven architectures
• Experience with SAP manufacturing integrations
• Ability to review and validate technical work by development teams and vendors
• Strong understanding of GxP, CFR Part 11, data integrity, and validation requirements
• Experience in Agile product delivery environments

Responsibilities

• Own delivery of scalable digital manufacturing platforms across Cell Therapy operations
• Lead development of MES, LIMS, automation interfaces, robotics workflows, and orchestration capabilities through internal teams and external partners
• Define product roadmaps, manage technical backlogs, and drive delivery of digital batch execution, electronic work instructions, device integration, and real-time visibility
• Serve as technical product owner ensuring solutions meet manufacturing and compliance requirements
• Lead MES and LIMS workflow orchestration supporting autologous and allogeneic manufacturing processes
• Design orchestration frameworks integrating MES, LIMS, ERP, automation systems, robotics, and data platforms
• Define manufacturing process flows, APIs, data exchange patterns, and event-driven architectures
• Manage vendor delivery, reviewing technical designs and validating implementation quality
• Own Tulip application roadmap and delivery, partnering with development teams to build applications
• Define application requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria
• Build or oversee development of reusable components, connectors, integrations, and low-code automation workflows
• Partner with manufacturing SMEs to rapidly prototype and deploy solutions
• Lead integration of robotics platforms, automation equipment, OT systems, and edge devices into enterprise platforms
• Own technical delivery of automated material movement, manufacturing execution, environmental monitoring, and equipment telemetry
• Perform hands-on integration including middleware configuration (HighByte, OPC-UA), scripting, and file system management
• Lead integration of MES and LIMS with SAP, automation systems, and analytics platforms
• Enable real-time sample tracking, chain of identity/custody, and manufacturing genealogy
• Define canonical data models supporting advanced analytics and AI use cases
• Drive API integrations with SAP ERP, vein-to-vein systems, and custom/bespoke supplier applications
• Act as technical product owner managing delivery roadmaps, sprint planning, and stakeholder expectations
• Apply Agile methodologies, CI/CD, DevSecOps, automated testing, and version control
• Ensure applications are scalable, secure, maintainable, and GxP compliant
• Review and validate technical work by development partners and vendors
• Leverage AI/ML to optimize workflows, exception handling, predictive maintenance, and manufacturing intelligence
• Support digital twins, manufacturing analytics, and intelligent automation implementation
• Drive innovation through rapid experimentation and Industry 4.0 technology adoption
• Partner with Manufacturing Operations, MSAT, Quality, Supply Chain, Automation Engineering, Digital IT, and vendors
• Translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions and delivery plans
• Support site deployments, validation, training, and operational readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Automation Engineering, Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, or related field

8+ years in manufacturing systems, digital manufacturing, MES implementation, or automation engineering

Tools

Tulip platform

APIs

HighByte

OPC-UA

MQTT

SAP manufacturing integrations

Job description

AstraZeneca plc is seeking an Associate Director for Digital Manufacturing & Automation to lead design, implementation, and continuous improvement of next‑gen manufacturing platforms across Cell Therapy operations.

You will own MES/LIMS deployments, robotics integration, and process orchestration, partnering with OT/IT, Quality, and Product teams to enable compliant, scalable digital manufacturing across global sites.