Senior Engineer - Automation Engineering – PLC & SCADA Systems Support

Biopharma Careers; Lebanon (KY); On-site; USD 66,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

401(k) retirement plan

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Well-being benefits

Job summary

Lilly is seeking a Senior Engineer – Automation Engineering to join the Automation Engineering Department at the Lilly Medicines Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana. You will provide automation support for DeltaV/Rockwell systems, lead PLC/SCADA integration, and mentor junior engineers to ensure GMP‑compliant control applications.

From startup through full GMP operation (2025–2029), you’ll collaborate with project teams, drive configuration and change control, and coordinate data flows to PI and shared

Qualifications

• Minimum B.S. in Engineering or relevant scientific discipline and 3+ years working experience in Automation Engineering, preferably in Pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Experience supporting or deploying PLC/SCADA‑based control systems (Rockwell, DeltaV, or equivalent)
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership: Lead the team’s integration from analytical systems into DeltaV/Rockwell, and recipe setup and maintenance for DeltaV‑ and Rockwell‑controlled systems within the Foundry Lab/Admin building
• Operational Excellence: Support project teams and system integrators during deployment and initial configuration of PLC‑based equipment; validate configuration against site standards
• Organizational Capability: Demonstrated initiative and strong troubleshooting, communication, and prioritization skills, with knowledge of GMP and regulatory requirements

Skills

Automation Engineering

PLC/SCADA systems

GMP compliance

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Rockwell

DeltaV

PI integration

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.

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life‑changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Organization and Position Overview

Lilly recently announced a $4.5 billion investment to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development. The first‑ever facility of its kind, combining research and manufacturing in a single location, the Medicine Foundry will allow Lilly to further develop innovative solutions to optimize manufacturing processes and increase capacity for clinical trial medicines, while also reducing costs and environmental impact.

The Senior Engineer – Automation Engineering will work as a member of the Automation Engineering Department at Eli Lilly, Foundry. The engineer will provide automation support for one or more operating areas across site and/or for capital projects. Process Automation is core to delivering a right‑first‑time facility start‑up and continued support of ongoing manufacturing operations into the future.

The Engineer is also responsible for the productivity and mentorship of the employees with the purpose of ensuring that reliable and compliant control applications and systems are used in the manufacturing at Foundry. Additionally, the Engineer as a key technical expert with partners to influence and implement within the process control organization and across functional disciplines to support the process control technical agenda, business plan priorities, and compliance objectives.

In the project delivery phase and startup phase of the project (startup expected 2025 to 2029), automation engineering roles will be fluid and dynamic as we endeavor to support the project delivery, build a new organization, develop and implement the necessary systems and business processes required to support GMP operations, and build the site culture. This will require significant collaboration, creativity and resilience as the site grows to a full scale GMP manufacturing through start up.

The PLC and SCADA Systems Support roles are focused on DeltaV, Rockwell, or Third Party/PLC controlled process equipment serving the Foundry Lab/Admin building. This includes recipe setup and maintenance, configuration support, backup/restore, version control, commissioning support, vendor‑packaged equipment coordination and integration touchpoints to PI, DeltaV and other systems for equipment such as RX‑10 reactor control systems, custom D&M skids, TFF skids, bioreactors, autoclaves, parts washers, vacuum ovens, floor scales, pumps and other PLC‑connected lab process assets.

Responsibilities

Key Objectives/Deliverables:

• Technical Leadership
• Lead the team’s integration from analytical systems into DeltaV/Rockwell, and recipe setup and maintenance for DeltaV‑ and Rockwell‑controlled systems within the Foundry Lab/Admin building
• Serve as technical point of contact during phased lab onboarding, supporting project‑ and integrator‑led deployment and configuration
• Mentor Engineer‑level staff supporting PLC systems

Operational Excellence:

• Support project teams and system integrators during deployment and initial configuration of PLC‑based equipment (DeltaV, Rockwell, third‑party PLC, custom SCADA); validate configuration against site standards
• Own the integration from analytical systems into DeltaV/Rockwell, and recipe setup and maintenance for PLC‑controlled lab equipment serving the Foundry Lab/Admin building post go‑live
• Manage change control, versioning and backup/restore for the team’s analytical‑to‑DeltaV/Rockwell integration and recipes supporting the Lab/Admin building
• Coordinate with the Analytical Systems Support team on data integration touchpoints where PLC‑controlled equipment feeds PI, DCS or other shared repositories
• Maintain the validated state of the team’s integration and recipe work for DeltaV/Rockwell‑controlled Lab/Admin building systems, in line with Lilly quality standards, including documentation and change management
• Provide status updates on supported systems to Automation Engineering leadership

Organizational Capability:

• Demonstrated initiative, organizational skills, and ability to prioritize across concurrent lab onboarding phases
• Strong troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills for control system issues
• Good written and verbal communication skills for technical and non‑technical audiences
• Knowledge of GMP, regulatory requirements, and computer system validation

Basic Requirements

• Minimum B.S. in Engineering or relevant scientific discipline and 3+ years working experience in Automation Engineering, preferably in Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Experience supporting or deploying PLC/SCADA‑based control systems (Rockwell, DeltaV, or equivalent)
• 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 Preferences

• Experience with recipe management and configuration on Rockwell or DeltaV‑controlled skid/lab equipment
• Experience supporting systems in a phased or greenfield commissioning environment
• Experience integrating PLC‑controlled equipment data to PI, DCS or other repositories

Other Information

Initial location Parkwood West Carmel, IN

Permanent location at the new Lilly Medicines Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana.

Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

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)
• 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 $66,000 - $171,600.

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,

• 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)

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.