Plant Engineer (GMP Experience Required)

Penn Life Sciences; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Performance bonus potential

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Penn Life Sciences seeks a Plant Engineer to drive reliability and performance of plant equipment, building systems, and supporting infrastructure in a sterile pharmaceutical environment.

The role conducts field investigations, implements sustainable engineering solutions to reduce failures and variability, and develops technical designs and documentation for manufacturing and packaging equipment. Collaboration across manufacturing, maintenance, quality, validation, EHS, and vendors is essential.

Qualifications

• Hands-on engineering troubleshooting of equipment and plant systems.
• Experience applying structured root‑cause analysis to improve reliability and performance.
• Familiarity with cGMP practices and change controls is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct, hands-on engineering support with field investigations, equipment inspections, functional checks, measurements, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Investigate recurring equipment failures and facility-system problems using data, history, and field observations to develop corrective improvements.
• Analyze process performance, yield losses, scrap, defects, and variability to implement improvements increasing throughput and availability.
• Evaluate manufacturing and packaging operations to identify bottlenecks and implement improvements for throughput and cycle times.
• Develop technical assessments, engineering designs, specifications, and modifications for equipment and facility systems.
• Create and maintain AutoCAD drawings, P&IDs, layouts, schematics, and final as-built documentation.
• Execute engineering projects from scope through commissioning, qualification, and turnover.
• Support change controls, deviations, CAPAs, investigations, and required cGMP documentation.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Troubleshooting

Field investigations

Process improvement

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Manufacturing/Industrial engineering emphasis

Tools

AutoCAD

P&IDs

Job description

The Plant Engineer serves as a hands‑on, field‑oriented engineer responsible for improving the reliability, performance, capacity, and compliant operation of plant equipment, building systems, and supporting infrastructure. This role investigates recurring technical and operational problems directly in the field and implements sustainable engineering solutions that reduce failures, defects, process variability, yield losses, and production constraints. The Plant Engineer also develops engineering designs and technical documentation and executes engineering and site‑improvement projects within a sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide direct, hands‑on engineering support by performing field investigations, equipment inspections, functional checks, measurements, testing, and troubleshooting involving production equipment, building systems, utilities, and supporting infrastructure.
• Investigate recurring equipment failures, facility‑system problems, and equipment‑related product or process defects using operating data, maintenance history, field observations, and structured root‑cause analysis to develop sustainable corrective and reliability improvements.
• Analyze process performance, yield losses, scrap, rework, defects, and variability and implement equipment, component, operating‑parameter, or process improvements that produce measurable and sustainable results.
• Evaluate manufacturing and packaging operations to identify bottlenecks, recurring line stops, excessive cycle times, inefficient material flow, and equipment or capacity constraints and implement improvements that increase throughput and equipment availability.
• Develop technical assessments, engineering designs, specifications, and modifications for manufacturing and packaging equipment, piping, equipment layouts, building systems, utility interfaces, and supporting infrastructure.
• Create, revise, and maintain AutoCAD drawings, P&IDs, equipment and facility layouts, utility drawings, schematics, redlines, and final as‑built documentation that accurately reflect installed conditions.
• Execute engineering and site‑improvement projects from scope development and technical evaluation through vendor and contractor coordination, installation, testing, startup, commissioning, qualification support, operational turnover, and closeout.
• Support change controls, deviations, CAPAs, investigations, engineering risk assessments, and required cGMP documentation while coordinating with Manufacturing, Maintenance, Quality, Validation, EHS, vendors, contractors, and equipment manufacturers.

What We’re Looking For

Experience:

• Minimum of three years of progressively responsible plant, manufacturing, process, facilities, reliability, or related engineering experience, with approximately three to five years of directly relevant experience preferred.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, sterile manufacturing, medical‑device, food, chemical, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment required.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience troubleshooting equipment and plant systems, investigating failures, implementing modifications, improving manufacturing performance, and executing engineering or site‑improvement projects.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline required.
• Mechanical Engineering is preferred due to the position’s emphasis on manufacturing equipment, mechanical systems, facility infrastructure, and hands‑on troubleshooting.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Strong hands‑on mechanical aptitude and practical equipment, utility, building‑system, and facility‑infrastructure troubleshooting ability.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD and the ability to create, interpret, field‑verify, and revise P&IDs, layouts, schematics, utility drawings, and other engineering documentation.
• Ability to evaluate downtime, defects, yield losses, recurring failures, and process constraints using operating data and structured root‑cause and problem‑solving methods.
• Working knowledge of cGMP engineering practices, change control, deviations, CAPA, commissioning, qualification, and controlled documentation.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation with annual performance bonus eligibility
• Annual merit‑based pay increases
• Automatic enrollment in a 401(k) at 3% pre‑tax with 50% company match on the first 6% contributed
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage
• Career growth opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement for children and childcare expense reimbursement

Schedule

• Full‑time, on‑site position (Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM), with occasional off‑hours support for shutdowns, installations, commissioning activities, or urgent plant issues.