Principal Engineer – Visual Inspection

BioSpace; Pleasant Prairie (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Pension

Vacation benefits

Medical, dental, vision and Rx

Flexible benefits

Life insurance and death benefits

Leave of absence benefits

Job summary

Lilly seeks a Principal Process Engineer – Visual Inspection (PFS) to lead the visual inspection processes for pre-filled syringes. You will ensure automated and manual systems are safe, compliant, and reliable while driving improvements and digital upgrades.

You will mentor engineers, manage documentation, and support regulatory submissions. This role requires extensive experience in parenteral manufacturing and AVI/MVI expertise within a GMP environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a technical field.
• 12+ years of senior engineering experience in parenteral or sterile drug product manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of visual inspection principles and regulatory expectations for injectable drug products.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and trend process performance, reject rates, and defect trends to drive operational decisions.
• Apply statistical tools to understand variability and optimize machine parameters.
• Ensure AVI and manual inspection systems remain qualified and fit for intended use.
• Review and improve maintenance and calibration programs for inspection equipment.
• Lead or support investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective actions for equipment-related deviations.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related technical field

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.

Organization Overview

For 150 years, Lilly has manufactured medicines that improve lives worldwide. Lilly Manufacturing operates with rigorous quality standards and advanced technologies, with safety first and quality always as guiding principles.

Role Overview

The Principal Process Engineer – Visual Inspection (PFS) serves as a technical leader and Subject Matter Expert for the visual inspection process of pre-filled syringes. This role ensures that both automated and manual inspection processes operate safely, reliably, and in full compliance with regulatory requirements.

Key ResponsibilitiesProcess Ownership and Equipment Reliability

• Monitor and trend process performance, reject rates, and defect trends, and leverage insights to drive operational decisions.
• Apply statistical tools (e.g., capability, control charts) to understand process variability, optimize machine parameters, and reduce false reject rates while maintaining detection capability.
• Ensure all inspection systems — automated visual inspection (AVI) machines and manual inspection stations — remain in a qualified state and fit for intended use.
• Review and improve maintenance and calibration programs for inspection equipment.
• Support implementing key digital upgrades and initiatives from a process engineering perspective ensuring they meet the process needs.

Technical Leadership

Serve as Subject Matter Expert for: Automated Visual Inspection (AVI): machine qualification, recipe development and management, and ongoing performance monitoring.

• Train and mentor engineers in data analysis, problem-solving, inspection system design, and execution excellence.
• Review and approve documentation requiring Responsible Engineer deliverables and GMP documentation, as applicable (e.g., SOPs, batch record changes, validation protocols/reports, change controls, inspection specifications).
• Lead or support investigations, root cause analyses, and countermeasure implementation for equipment-related deviations.
• Manage and coordinate original equipment manufacturer (OEM) relationships critical to formulation and component preparation equipment reliability (e.g., service strategy, troubleshooting, spares, upgrades).
• Work closely with global team, other site engineers (both inspection and filling), and material team to troubleshoot issues and drive the process towards continuous improvement.

Regulatory and Audit Readiness

• Serve as a key technical contact during regulatory inspections (FDA, EMA, etc.) and internal quality/HSE audits for visual inspection operations.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with applicable GMP regulations and standards, including EU GMP Annex 1, USP , and ASTM E2537.
• Support preparation and review of regulatory filings and responses related to inspection processes (inspection method descriptions, validation summaries, responses to agency queries).

Project Leadership

• Define project scope, user requirements, and technical deliverables for capital projects, and process improvement initiatives related to inspection technologies and workflows.
• Sponsor and manage inspection method validation and AVI qualification activities.
• Lead evaluation and implementation of new inspection platforms or vision system upgrades.

Mentorship and Development

• Coach and mentor junior and mid-level engineers in visual inspection science and technology.
• Promote standardization of inspection procedures, defect classification, and documentation quality across shifts and product lines.
• Support development of training materials and qualification programs for inspectors and cross-functional teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related technical field.
• 12+ years of senior engineering experience in parenteral or sterile drug product manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of visual inspection principles, defect classification, and regulatory expectations for injectable drug products.
• Solid understanding of both AVI and MVI methodologies as applied to PFS products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with AVI platforms (e.g., Stevanato, Körber).
• Experience with AVI recipe development, machine performance qualification, and ongoing process performance monitoring.
• Familiarity with inspector qualification programs and human factors methodologies for MVI.
• Experience with container closure integrity (CCI) as it relates to inspection processes.
• Equipment qualification (IV/OV/PQ) and inspection method validation experience.
• Experience with MES, CMMS, and deviation/change management systems (e.g., Veeva, SAP).
• Knowledge of image analysis, lighting systems, and camera technologies as applied to pharmaceutical inspection.

Additional Information

Day shift with potential after-hours support during critical operations, investigations, or AVI recipe changes. Occasional travel may be required for technology transfers, regulatory interactions, or equipment supplier assessments.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

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. Our current groups include: 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) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.

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
• 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.

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