Senior Biologics Pilot Plant Automation Lead

Merck & Co.; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 117,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Long-term incentive

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. is seeking a Senior Specialist, Pilot Plant Automation Engineer to lead automation activities for pilot-scale GMP manufacturing of biologics, vaccines, and therapeutic proteins.

You will drive implementation, qualification, and continuous improvement of automation solutions within the pilot plant environment. You will provide technical leadership for automation systems, support clinical manufacturing operations, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to advance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, CS, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years' relevant experience with at least 3 in automation engineering.
• Hands-on automation with Ignition and/or DeltaV.
• Experience supporting GMP manufacturing in pharma/biopharma.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and ongoing support for facility automation systems.
• Act as automation SME for GMP clinical manufacturing campaigns.
• Lead/integrate, QC, and start up new equipment and automation projects.
• Author, review, and approve GMP docs: change controls, test protocols, SDLC, SOPs, safety assessments, deviations.
• Lead maintenance, lifecycle management, and upgrade initiatives for automation systems.
• Evaluate and implement new automation technologies to improve reliability and efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in a multidisciplinary project environment.
• Cross-train across multiple technologies, systems, and processes.

Skills

Ignition

DeltaV

GMP

Automation

Jira

Confluence

RACI

Gantt

MES

Virtualized environments

Windows administration

Cybersecurity

Cross-functional teamwork

PHA

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical discipline

Tools

MES

Virtualization

Windows administration

Cybersecurity

Patching/antivirus management

Job description

Merck & Co., Inc. is seeking a Senior Specialist, Pilot Plant Automation Engineer to lead automation activities for pilot-scale GMP manufacturing of biologics, vaccines, and therapeutic proteins.

You will drive implementation, qualification, and continuous improvement of automation solutions within the pilot plant environment. You will provide technical leadership for automation systems, support clinical manufacturing operations, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to advance