Engineer - Automation Engineering – Lilly Medicine Foundry

Eli Lilly and Company; Lebanon (IN); On-site; USD 66,000 - 171,600; Full time

Job summary

Eli Lilly and Company is seeking an Automation Engineer to support advanced manufacturing at the Lilly Medicines Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana. You will work within the Automation Engineering Department to deliver robust control systems and instrumentation for site operations and capital projects.

The role emphasizes design reviews, validation planning, and on‑call support, with a focus on maximizing right‑first‑time facility start‑up and ongoing manufacturing reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field; exposure to automation, controls, or programming is preferred.
• Pharmaceutical or regulated industry experience is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

• Provide automation support for one or more operating areas across site and/or for capital projects.
• Design, development and commissioning of control systems and instrumentation.
• Support validation strategies and documentation to maintain GMP compliance.
• Troubleshoot and tune control loops and VFDs; participate in design reviews and FATs.

Skills

DeltaV DCS

Rockwell AB PLCs

FactoryTalk View

Automation engineering

Python/C# programming

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

FATs

Batch Process Automation

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

Organization And Position Overview

Lilly recently announced a $4.5 billion investment to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development. The first‑ever facility of its kind, combining research and manufacturing in a single location, the Medicine Foundry will allow Lilly to further develop innovative solutions to optimize manufacturing processes, increase capacity for clinical trial medicines, and reduce costs and environmental impact. The Engineer – Automation Engineering will work as a member of the Automation Engineering Department at Eli Lilly, Foundry. The engineer will provide automation support for one or more operating areas across site and/or for capital projects. Process Automation is core to delivering a right‑first‑time facility start‑up and continued support of ongoing manufacturing operations into the future. The Automation engineer will collaborate and partner with cross‑functional peers to support successful delivery of robust control systems and instrumentation, business plan priorities, and compliance objectives.

Key Objectives/Deliverables

• Technical Experience.
• Site operation runtime support, enhance control system reliability and lifecycle management, in a GMP regulated environment.
• Participate in design reviews and site control system reviews, attend/support FATs.
• Tuning and troubleshooting of control loops, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs).
• Thorough understanding of P&IDs and Instrument loop drawings and various process control communication protocols.
• Develop and review Functional Requirements, Design Specifications and Test Specifications.
• Maintain the validated state of the site control system in line with Lilly quality standards, including the development and execution of validation strategies and associated documentation.

Operational Excellence

• Experience working in a biopharma or small‑molecule manufacturing is a plus.
• Provide on‑call support for operations, as needed.
• Demonstrated ability in resolving complex technical challenges with control systems.
• Demonstrated experience utilizing Master maintenance plans.
• Experience working with DeltaV Distributed Control System, Batch Process Automation.
• Experience working with Rockwell Allen Bradley PLCs, FactoryTalk View.
• Experience in performing automation engineering activities including design, development and commissioning.
• Provide periodic status updates to Project Management and leadership.
• Support electronic systems (such as plant historians) used to capture process automation related production data.
• Good planning and organizational skills, ability to prioritize tasks, commitment to task completion and timelines.

Organizational Capability

• In coordination with automation and compliance consultants, set and reinforce standards for appropriate rigor in automation work products.
• Demonstrated initiative, good planning and organizational skills, ability to prioritize tasks, commitment to task completion and timelines.
• Possess a keen technical curiosity and has demonstrated strong problem‑solving skills and a desire for continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to influence peers and business partners.
• Good written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• GMP knowledge and experience, regulatory requirements, computer system validation.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer/Software Engineering, or a related technical field required. Demonstrated interest or hands‑on experience in automation, controls, computer software/hardware, or engineering through internships, co‑ops, academic projects, or other relevant experiences is preferred. Exposure to industrial automation technologies (e.g., PLCs, SCADA, robotics) or programming (e.g., Python, C#, or similar) is a plus. Pharmaceutical or regulated industry experience is preferred but not required.
• 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 Preferences

• Hands‑on experience in SCADA, DCS, PLC and MES systems (DeltaV, Rockwell, Syncade, etc).

Other Information

• Initial location at Parkwood West, Indianapolis.
• Permanent location at the new Lilly Medicines Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana.

Lilly 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.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $66,000 – $171,600. Full‑time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company‑sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefit options (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day‑care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time‑off and leave of absence benefits; and 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.