Facilities Control Engineer Lead

Caris Life Sciences; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading life sciences firm in Phoenix, Arizona is seeking a Facilities Control Engineer Lead to serve as the enterprise technical authority for Building Management Systems. The role encompasses defining automation standards, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and leading cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate possesses a Bachelor's in Engineering along with 7+ years of experience in facilities controls and BMS ownership. This position may require periodic travel and after-hours response for emergencies.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in facilities controls, automation engineering, or BMS ownership.
• Demonstrated experience with enterprise-level BMS architectures across multiple facilities.
• Strong expertise in alarm management and building automation protocols.

Responsibilities

• Define, implement, and maintain standards for BMS architecture.
• Own performance and reliability of control systems across sites.
• Collaborate with multiple leadership teams to align control strategies.

Skills

Building Management Systems expertise

HVAC systems knowledge

Regulatory compliance understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Position Summary

The Facilities Control Engineer Lead is the enterprise technical authority for the design, governance, reliability, and lifecycle management of Building Management Systems (BMS) and facility automation platforms supporting regulated laboratory, manufacturing, and office environments. This role provides strategic technical leadership for environmental control systems that underpin GxP, CLIA, CAP, and ISO compliance, ensuring controlled environments are designed, operated, and evolved in alignment with regulatory expectations, quality systems, and business growth.

The Facilities Control Engineer Lead defines automation standards, architects validated and non-validated control system strategies, and serves as the primary technical owner accountable for system performance, audit readiness, and long-term scalability. This role operates with significant autonomy, partners closely with Quality, Facilities, IT, and Laboratory leadership, and represents facilities controls during inspections, audits, and major capital initiatives.

Job Responsibilities

Enterprise Controls Strategy & Ownership

• Serve as the enterprise technical authority for Building Management Systems (BMS) and facilities automation supporting regulated and non-regulated environments.
• Define, implement, and maintain standards for BMS architecture, alarm management, data integrity, validation, and lifecycle management.
• Lead the design, commissioning, qualification, and validation strategy for facilities control systems, ensuring consistency and regulatory alignment.

System Performance, Risk & Compliance

• Own performance, reliability, and lifecycle sustainability of facilities control systems across sites.
• Partner with Quality to ensure control systems meet GxP, data integrity, and audit expectations.
• Act as the controls engineering subject matter expert during audits, inspections, and investigations.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks related to environmental control failures, system obsolescence, cybersecurity, and business continuity.

Cross-Functional & Vendor Leadership

• Collaborate with Facilities, Quality, IT, and Laboratory leadership to align control strategies with operational and regulatory needs.
• Govern external automation vendors and provide technical leadership to internal engineering resources.
• Communicate complex technical issues, risks, and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Automation, Controls, Facilities Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in facilities controls, automation engineering, or BMS ownership within regulated life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotech, or clinical laboratory environments.
• Demonstrated experience owning enterprise-level BMS architectures (e.g., Siemens, Johnson Controls, Honeywell) across multiple facilities or complex regulated sites.
• Strong expertise in HVAC systems, environmental control strategies, alarm management, and building automation protocols (BACnet, Modbus, OPC, PLCs).
• Proven experience leading validation and compliance strategy for facility automation systems, including audit participation and remediation.
• Deep understanding of GxP principles, data integrity expectations, and regulated laboratory operations.
• Ability to operate autonomously, influence without authority, and drive alignment across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent documentation, communication, and strategic problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and standard engineering documentation tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree
• Professional Engineer license (PE)
• Experience with room mapping, commissioning, and qualification activities for controlled spaces.
• Certifications such as Certified Building Commissioning Professional (CBCP), Certified Automation Professional (CAP), or relevant manufacturer certifications in BMS platforms.

Physical Demands

• Ability to stand, walk, climb ladders, and access mechanical spaces for extended periods.
• Ability to lift up to 40 lbs. for equipment installation or maintenance tasks.
• Requires manual dexterity to work within control panels, sensor housings, and equipment racks.
• Ability to work in mechanical rooms, rooftops, and laboratory environments as needed.

Training

• All job specific, safety, and compliance training are assigned based on the job functions associated with this employee.

Other

• This position requires periodic travel and some evenings, weekends and/or holidays.
• Job may require after-hours response to emergency issues.
• Periodically scheduled on-call may require after-hours response for technical emergencies not explicitly related to assigned job responsibilities.
• At times may be required to work weekends/holidays.

Conditions of Employment

• Individual must successfully complete pre-employment process, which includes criminal background check, drug screening, credit check (applicable for certain positions) and reference verification.

EEO Statement

Caris Life Sciences is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.