Senior Automation Engineer (cGMP) - Project Farma

PerkinElmer; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

PerkinElmer seeks an experienced project lead in Raleigh, NC, to manage automation projects and deliver high-quality solutions. The successful candidate will mentor teams, ensure compliance with regulatory standards, and drive innovation within the organization.

This full-time role requires significant travel for client engagements and demands a strong background in life sciences or engineering with leadership experience in automation and digital systems.

Qualifications

• 5-15+ years in Automation and Digital Systems within GMP life sciences.
• Expert-level in Process Control, MES, or Digital Systems.
• Willingness to travel for client projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance to project teams.
• Lead medium to large project scopes.
• Manage risks and ensure compliance.

Skills

Technical Delivery

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

Customer Focus & Professionalism

Integrity & Humility

Collaboration & Communication

Project Execution

Growth Mindset

Education

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, Regulatory

Tools

Process Control

MES

Digital Systems platforms

Job description

This is a full-time salaried position with Project Farma, a PerkinElmer company. The successful candidate will reside in one of Project Farma's primary markets and be willing to travel domestically to meet client project requests.

• Market locations include but are not limited to: Boston, Philadelphia, DMV, Northern New Jersey, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, St Louis, Kansas City, Raleigh‑Durham, Houston, Dallas, Boulder, Portland, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles.

Project Farma’s purpose is to improve patient lives by accelerating the delivery of life-changing therapies. We accomplish this through the successful execution of high-quality life sciences projects across the full project lifecycle. Project Farma (PF) team members collaborate with cross‑functional teams to build trusted client relationships, deliver an exceptional customer experience, and contribute to business growth by identifying opportunities and applying data‑driven insights to support project planning, cost, schedule, and performance management.

This role contributes to organizational success by supporting financial performance, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement, while also investing in people through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and professional development.

All team members are expected to embody Project Farma’s values by being curious, personable, and unselfish, while maintaining a strong commitment to a Patient Focused and People First mindset.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Provides technical guidance for assigned project team members
• Creates an approachable, inclusive team environment
• Encourages active participation in project team discussions
• Engages with leadership to provide continuous improvements suggestions to the DT&A and overall PF Strategy

Client Engagement & Delivery

• Lead medium sized projects or scope of work for large projects
• Builds a strong collaborative relationship with clients
• Supports scope definition, change management, and client communications.
• Builds a strong relationship with other 3rd party vendors or system integrators
• Identifies opportunities to expand work for PF

Technical Competency

• Continues to broaden knowledge of the overall Digital Transformation and Automation pillars
• Develop project execution and Configuration Strategy
• Build knowledge of estimating automation projects (Schedule, Hours, Tasks, etc)
• Resolves moderately complex operational and people‑related challenges.

Innovation & Practice Development

• Provide mentoring and coaching for the engineers working on your project
• Monitor emerging technologies and evaluate the potential strategic impact to our business.
• Encourages teams to explore new methods, tools, and industry developments.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Identifies execution risks and takes corrective action proactively.
• Ensure compliance with global regulatory standards (GMP, FDA, ISO, EHS).
• Champion a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Reviews deliverables for quality and compliance before client submission.
• Addresses quality issues through coaching and process improvement

Operational & Financial Oversight

• Balances schedule, quality, and client priorities in decision‑making.
• Manages team utilization and workload forecasting to meet billability goals.
• Escalates high‑risk decisions appropriately.
• Ensure quality assurance, risk management and compliance across all aspects of DT&A

Attributes for Success

• Technical Delivery: Applies advanced technical knowledge and professional expertise
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Seeks better ways, adapts to change and champions new ideas.
• Customer Focus & Professionalism: Represents PF with consistent professionalism, appropriate escalation and respect for internal stakeholders, even during high stress delivery situations
• Integrity & Humility: Demonstrates self‑awareness and puts PF mission above ego
• Collaboration & Communication: Communicates clearly and proactively and drives transparent alignment with clients.
• Project Execution: Delivers reliably, manages priorities and drives for high quality outcomes
• Growth Mindset: Shows openness to new ideas, feedback and change

Experience Required

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree (and/or Masters) in Life Sciences, Engineering, Regulatory or related discipline OR a combination of equivalent experience in quality assurance, cGMP facility start‑up, regulatory assurance, relevant military and/or professional services.
• 5-15+ years of experience in Automation and Digital Systems environment in the GMP life sciences (biotech, pharma, ATMP). Expert‑level experience with one or more aspects of Process Control, MES and Digital Systems platforms.
• Willingness to travel as required for client project assignments.

Other Preferred

• Strong communicator and influencer across engineering, quality, IT/OT, and manufacturing.
• Structured thinker with advanced troubleshooting and problem solving skills.
• Skilled at managing multiple priorities in a high pressure, regulated environment.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentorship abilities.

Project Farma is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. PerkinElmer is committed to a culturally diverse workforce.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis. We will not sponsor applicants for current or future work visas for this position. This position may require significant travel to support project and business needs. We cannot employ anyone with an invalid driver's license.