Senior Instrumentation Technician & Process Optimization SME

Lonza; Vacaville (CA); On-site; USD 79,000 - 131,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus performance‑related

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) matching plan

Life insurance & disability insurance

Employee assistance programs

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Lonza is seeking a Principal Instrumentation Technician for a fully on-site role in Vacaville, CA. You will troubleshoot highly complex instrumentation, mentor staff, and participate in Maintenance Optimization as an SME to improve uptime, safety, and cost efficiency while ensuring cGMP compliance.

The position requires 5+ years GMP experience and 5–10 years in instrumentation; you will lead technical education and coordinate across Instrument Services, MSAT, and Reliability Engineering.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• 5+ years of experience in a GMP environment.
• 5–10 years in manufacturing process instrumentation, control systems, or analytical instrumentation.
• Strong understanding of industrial process instrumentation principles and systems.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs with reasonable accommodations.
• Valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced hands‑on troubleshooting for highly complex instrumentation and mechanical equipment failures, resolving out‑of‑tolerance conditions to optimize, validate, and restore production uptime.
• Serve as the Instrument Services SME on the Maintenance Optimization team and participate in cross‑functional governance teams to advise on equipment design, procurement, commissioning, and qualification.
• Partner with Production, MSAT, and Reliability Engineering to identify and lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on enhancing safety, quality, and cost efficiency across site operations.
• Conduct root cause assessments for process discrepancies and Quality investigations using systems like Track Wise/Veeva; implement corrective actions and initiate necessary maintenance documentation updates.
• Identify and implement equipment and procedural improvements within the Preventive Maintenance program to ensure strict alignment with cGMP standards and regulatory requirements.
• Act as a team lead to coordinate work, exercise independent judgment on critical site tasks, and design and deliver continuing technical education to upskill maintenance staff.
• Perform active in‑process and post‑completion field audits to enforce quality execution, verify adherence to maintenance procedures, and prevent rework.

Skills

GMP environment

Instrumentation & controls

Troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Mentoring & training

Safety/compliance

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

TrackWise

Veeva

Job description

Lonza is seeking a Principal Instrumentation Technician for a fully on-site role in Vacaville, CA. You will troubleshoot highly complex instrumentation, mentor staff, and participate in Maintenance Optimization as an SME to improve uptime, safety, and cost efficiency while ensuring cGMP compliance.

The position requires 5+ years GMP experience and 5–10 years in instrumentation; you will lead technical education and coordinate across Instrument Services, MSAT, and Reliability Engineering.