Senior Bioprocess Equipment Engineer – AI-Enabled Troubleshooting/Solutions - (JP16015)

3 Key Consulting, Inc.; Thousand Oaks (CA); On-site; USD 59,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

3 Key Consulting, Inc. is hiring a Senior Bioprocess Equipment Engineer for a 1+ year contract in Thousand Oaks, CA. The role focuses on reliability, troubleshooting, and lifecycle management of bioprocess equipment in a Pilot Plant setting, onsite only.

The engineer will provide on-site support to Operations, drive data-driven decisions, and contribute to preventative maintenance strategies, with opportunities to apply AI tools for efficiency and AI-enabled solutions.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree or equivalent experience in bioprocess equipment engineering.
• Experience with AI workflows or AI-enabled tools is preferred.
• Relevant pharmaceutical manufacturing engineering experience may be considered in lieu of the stated requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering support for pilot plant bioprocess equipment, incl. bioreactors and skid systems.
• Troubleshoot equipment issues and lead root cause analyses to implement reliable solutions.
• Coordinate with Operations, Maintenance, Instrumentation, and Facilities teams to resolve issues.
• Apply thermodynamics, fluid systems, piping, electrical systems and controls to resolve problems.
• Use equipment history, data trends, and SPC to guide maintenance and decisions.
• Support design, commissioning, startup, and integration for new or modified systems.
• Identify opportunities to use digital tools and AI to improve troubleshooting and workflow.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

System ownership

Cross-functional comms

Education

Advanced degree or equivalent in bioprocess engineering

Experience in bioprocess equipment engineering

AI workflow experience preferred

Job description

Job Title: Senior Bioprocess Equipment Engineer - AI-Enabled Troubleshooting/Solutions - (JP16015)

Location: Thousand Oaks, CA. 91320

Employment Type: Contract

Business Unit: Pilot Plant Engineering

Duration: 1+ year(s) (with likely extensions and/or conversion to permanent)

Posting Date: 10/20/26

Pay Rate: $43 - $48/hour W2

Notes: Only qualified candidates need apply. Work arrangement: 100% onsite; local candidates preferred

Hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., with potential overtime and participation in an on-call rotation

3 Key Consulting is hiring a Senior Bioprocess Equipment Engineer - Pilot Plant Reliability & Troubleshooting for a consulting engagement with our direct client, a leading global biopharmaceutical company.

Job Description:

This role serves as an Equipment Senior Engineer supporting manufacturing in our client’s Thousand Oaks Pilot Plant, a non-GMP environment. The engineer is responsible for the reliability, performance, and lifecycle management of assigned process equipment, such as bioreactors, chromatography skids, and single-use and stainless-steel systems.

The position provides day-to-day, onsite technical support to Operations, with an emphasis on troubleshooting, maintenance coordination, and data-driven decision-making. The engineer partners closely with Operations and support functions to guide technical decisions during equipment issues, process changes, and system improvements. The role does not involve directly operating equipment.

The engineer also supports preventive maintenance strategy, asset management (for example, in Maximo), and the introduction of new equipment, ensuring systems are effectively integrated and maintained to meet evolving process needs. The role includes identifying opportunities to use digital tools and AI to improve troubleshooting, reliability, and workflow efficiency.

Success in this role requires independence, technical depth, a strong reliability mindset, and effective cross-functional collaboration in a fast-paced development environment.

Why is the Position Open?

Supplement additional workload on team.

Top Must Have Skills:

• Equipment troubleshooting and root cause analysis: Independently diagnoses equipment issues, explains the root cause, and describes how the resolution was verified.
• System ownership and reliability: Takes accountability for assigned equipment and drives maintenance and reliability improvements using data.
• Cross-functional communication: Works effectively with Operations, Maintenance, and support teams; communicates clearly during equipment issues and improvement work.

Day to Day Responsibilities:

• Provide engineering support for pilot plant bioprocess equipment, including bioreactors, chromatography skids, TFF/UF/DF systems, cleaning systems, and single-use and stainless-steel equipment.
• Troubleshoot equipment issues, lead or support root cause analysis, and implement solutions that improve performance and reliability.
• Identify and mitigate equipment risks, including failure modes and obsolescence, and drive proactive improvements.
• Apply engineering fundamentals in areas such as thermodynamics, fluid systems, piping, electrical systems, and process controls to assess and resolve issues.
• Use equipment history and available system or process data—including trend analysis and statistical methods such as SPC—to guide maintenance planning and engineering decisions.
• Support equipment design, commissioning, startup, and integration for new or modified systems.
• Translate process and operational needs into engineering solutions and clear documentation.
• Coordinate with Operations, Maintenance, Instrumentation, Facilities, and Process Development teams to resolve issues and deliver improvements.
• Lead or support small engineering projects, managing priorities, execution, and cross-functional coordination.
• Identify opportunities to use digital tools and AI to improve troubleshooting, reliability, and workflow efficiency.
• Maintain a consistent onsite presence to support daily operations and participate in a rotating on-call schedule: one week on call approximately every six weeks. Occasional weekend or after-hours support may be needed during the assigned rotation.
• Work in a non-GMP pilot plant while following applicable standards, procedures, and documentation practices.

Basic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree and 2 years of experience; or
• Bachelor’s degree and 4 years of experience; or
• Associate degree and 8 years of experience; or
• High school diploma or GED and 10 years of experience.
• Preferably with experience applying AI workflows or implementing AI-enabled solutions is preferred.
• Relevant pharmaceutical manufacturing engineering experience may be considered in lieu of the stated experience requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Maximo or another computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).
• Experience applying AI workflows or implementing AI-enabled tools to improve engineering or maintenance work.

Red Flags:

• Gives only a superficial account of troubleshooting and cannot explain how they identified the cause, resolved the issue, or confirmed the fix.
• Has supported equipment work but cannot describe examples of taking ownership or accountability.
• Blames other teams or cannot give examples of effective cross-functional coordination.
• Does not use data, equipment history, or trends to inform troubleshooting or reliability decisions.
• Is unable or unwilling to meet the consistent onsite requirement or participate in the rotating on-call schedule.
• Cannot discuss their resume or technical experience in sufficient detail.

1. Phone Screening with Hiring Manager

2. Video Panel Interview with Engineer team

3. Video Panel Interview with Manager team