Principal - Engineer - Process (Environmental Controls)

Eli Lilly and Company; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 68,000 - 152,000; Full time

Job summary

Eli Lilly and Company in Houston is seeking a Principal Process Engineer for Environmental Controls to support GMP API manufacturing. The role focuses on ECU systems, tank farms, solvent recovery, and air emissions, delivering batch and continuous production capabilities.

You will lead facility start-up activities, write SOPs, support qualification, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize utilities, ensure safety, and drive continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering.
• 3+ years of manufacturing operations experience.
• 2+ years of experience in a process safety management (PSM) environment.
• Authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering support for start-up and commissioning with safety reviews, SOP development, and qualification.
• Monitor and optimize critical utilities systems; support equipment qualification and maintenance.
• Collaborate with maintenance to plan calibrations and testing; apply process modelling to improve control.

Skills

Engineering fundamentals

Process safety

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Creativity

Mentoring others

Flexibility

Pharma/ Chemical Manufacturing

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

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. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Lilly is constructing an advanced manufacturing facility in Houston, TX, to produce API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) molecules. The site will supply APIs for current and future products, including new modalities. This is a chance to join the startup team for a greenfield manufacturing site. The successful candidate will help build the processes and facility that carry the site into GMP manufacturing operations. We are seeking a Principal Process Engineer for Environmental Controls to support the API manufacturing business in Houston. This engineer will be responsible for Environmental Controls (ECU) systems in a GMP environment, including tank farm operations, solvent recovery systems and air emissions systems. The role is core to delivering our product pipeline across batch and continuous API production and development.

Responsibilities:

Facility Start‑Up Provide engineering support to the Global Facility Delivery Team (Lilly's global large scale capital delivery team) with a strong focus on right first time and on schedule facility start‑up. This includes design reviews, process safety assessments, user requirements, C&Q support, unit operation shakedown and start‑up, and facility operational readiness. Contribute to the integrated operational readiness plan and own the elements assigned to you, such as SOP development, maintenance strategy, automation optimization, pre‑startup safety reviews, alarm requirements, and performance qualification requirements and protocol development. Own the qualified state of equipment for your assigned systems. Develop and implement unit operation and equipment control strategy to sustain and optimize critical utilities systems in support of manufacturing operations. Support initial operations training as the equipment and area SME for assigned systems. Facility Operations Provide engineering support in critical utilities operations through application of chemical and/or mechanical engineering fundamentals. Monitor, assess and document equipment performance to maintain ongoing qualification. Support development and maintenance of the basis of safety for equipment as required. Apply mechanistic modelling, process simulation and analysis to enhance process understanding and control. Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities related to equipment and processes as a core member of the cross‑functional process team. Use root cause analysis techniques to investigate process and equipment issues and deliver robust and sustainable corrective and preventative actions. Collaborate with maintenance teams to plan and execute scheduled maintenance activities, including equipment calibration and testing.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering.
• 3+ years of relevant experience in manufacturing operations.
• 2+ years of experience working in a process safety management (PSM) regulated environment.
• 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 Skills/Preferences:

• Experience in Pharmaceutical or Chemical Manufacturing.
• Deep technical interest and understanding in the field of chemical engineering.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Working knowledge of Environmental Controls systems such as tank farms, solvent recovery, or air emissions abatement.
• Exposure to facility start‑up, commissioning and qualification, or operational readiness work.
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a process team consisting of a diverse group of management, production, science and engineering professionals.
• Creativity to identify improvement opportunities and the tenacity/initiative to see them implemented.
• Guidance/mentoring of others through processes.
• Flexibility to meet business needs.

Other Information:

Occasional travel required, 5 to 10%. Required to be working onsite. Required to be on‑call. Occasional shift work may apply.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees.

• Africa
• Middle East
• Central Asia (AMECA)
• Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly)
• Chinese Culture Network (CCN)
• EnAble
• Evolve
• Lilly Indian Network (LIN)
• Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA)
• Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies)
• Veterans Leadership Network (VLN)
• Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL)

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $67,500 - $151,800. Full‑time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).

In addition, 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 benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts)
• life insurance and death benefits
• certain time off and leave of absence benefits
• well‑being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities)

Full‑time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).

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.

#WeAreLilly At Lilly we strive to ensure our employees are part of a team that cares about them and our shared purpose of making life better for those around the world. How do we do this? We continue to look for ways to include, innovate, accelerate and deliver while maintaining integrity, excellence and respect for people. We hope that you seek to join us on our journey as we create medicine and deliver improved outcomes for patients across the globe! #WeAreLilly