Senior Manager, Automation Engineering

Novo Nordisk A/S; Clayton (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

14 paid holidays

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

8% 401K contribution with companymatch

Parental leave (14 weeks)

Family medical leave (6 weeks)

Product access to Novo Nordisk drugs

Tuition assistance

Life & disability insurance

Employee referral awards

Job summary

Novo Nordisk A/S in Clayton, NC is seeking a senior professional to lead the Automation department, covering daily engineering improvements and long-term upgrades. You will mentor SMEs in SCADA, PLC and MES, ensure uptime, and align goals with NN plans.

Ideal candidates have 7+ years in IT/Automation within GMP settings and at least 4 years of people leadership, with experience in MES/SCADA and manufacturing systems. This role offers growth and a global impact on healthcare solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a relevant field required.
• Minimum of 7 years IT or Automation experience in a GMP manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 4 years of people leadership experience, including leading other supervisors.
• Experience with MES, SCADA, PLC and manufacturing information systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic direction for the automation assets and monitor industry advancements to implement new technologies.
• Collaborate with department leadership for training, development, coaching, performance management, recruitment and employee relations.
• Lead and coach SMEs to create a high-performing, accountable team with ongoing feedback.
• Drive technical discussions and problem-solving across automation systems.
• Create and implement KPIs for areas of responsibility.
• Coordinate with stakeholders across the organization, including DK, to meet production and business requirements.
• Ensure automation systems are available, capable and compliant with internal and external regulations.
• Maintain safety and environmental responsibilities in all duties.
• Perform additional accountabilities as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Performance management

Coaching

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Training & development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Master’s degree in Engineering

Tools

SCADA

PLC

MES

MS SQL

Oracle

BMS

Job description

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At Novo Nordisk, we want to make a difference. For more than 100 years, we have led the way in diabetes care. Being part of Novo Nordisk allows our employees to embark on the opportunity to help improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world.

In NC, we operate three pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities that are responsible for fulfilling different steps in our injectable and oral treatment supply chains. Our Product Supply Aseptic Manufacturing (PS AM) facility in Clayton, NC is a 457,000 square foot aseptic "fill and finish" site that is responsible for producing innovative, injectable diabetes and obesity treatments. At PS AM, you’ll join a global network of manufacturing professionals who are passionate about what they do.

What we offer you:

• Leading pay and annual performance bonus for all positions
• All employees enjoy generous paid time off including 14 paid holidays
• Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance – effective day one
• Guaranteed 8% 401K contribution plus individual company match option
• Family Focused Benefits including 14weeks paid parental & 6 weeks paid family medical leave
• Free access to Novo Nordisk-marketed pharmaceutical products
• Tuition Assistance
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Employee Referral Awards

At Novo Nordisk, you will find opportunities, resources, and mentorship to help grow and build your career. Are you ready to realize your potential? Join Team Novo Nordisk and help us make what matters.

The Position

Responsible for Automation department divided into two tracks: daily engineering system improvements & long-term project upgrades on automation systems. Provides leadership & coaching to Automation staff. Responsible for Automation system support overseeing subject matter experts within SCADA, PLC & Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) applications. Ensure processes, service level agreements are in place & people are trained sufficiently to meet the system uptime requirements. Responsible for developing strategic goals & objectives in alignment with all relevant NN business plans. Drive improvement projects & system upgrades.

Relationships

Reports to Director.

Essential Functions

• Develop strategic direction for the company’s automation assets, monitor advancements in the industry & recommend & implement new technologies that help meet customer demands as well as production goals/agreements for the site
• Collaborate with department leadership with oversight of training, development, coaching, performance management, recruitment & employee relations
• Manage, lead & coach teams of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to ensure a high performing collaborative team environment to include providing continuous feedback, structure & accountability to improve team performance
• Drive technical discussions & problem solving
• Create, develop, define & implement dynamic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for areas of responsibility
• Actively involve & manage stakeholders at all levels across the organization, as well as in Denmark (DK)
• Ensure automation systems & processes are available, capable & accessible to meet production & business requirements
• Ensure department is operating in accordance with internal & external regulations & procedures
• Follow all safety & environmental requirements in the performance of duties
• Other accountabilities, as assigned

Physical Requirements

Ability to work in an open office environment with the possibility of frequent distraction. Ability to travel up to 10% of the time (% can change on a case-by-case basis based on the role).

Development Of People

Supervisory. Ensure that reporting personnel have individual development plans (IDP), with annual goals and measurements that are consistent with the priorities of the business and that interim reviews are held so that their work is focused on those priorities and they understand their level of accountability for results and the measurement process. Ensure that the IDP forms include completed learning and aspiration plans and are in place for all reporting personnel to enable the achievement of goals and capability to assume increased levels of responsibility. Manage the application and communication of all Novo Nordisk policies, procedures and Novo Nordisk Way.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a relevant field of study from an accredited university required
• Master’s degree in Engineering or a relevant field of study from an accredited university preferred
• Minimum of 7 years of IT or Automation experience in a GMP manufacturing environment required
• Minimum of 4 years of people leadership experience, including demonstrated ability to lead/direct other people leaders (supervisors), ability to build a collaborative high performing team environment in a technical context & ability to inspire & motivate employees through continuous feedback required
• BMS experience preferred
• Relational databases (MS SQL, Oracle & Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)) experience preferred
• Automated control systems, related & supporting infrastructure & protocols experience preferred
• Manufacturing information systems experience preferred
• Six Sigma methodologies experience preferred
• Lean manufacturing techniques & methodologies experience preferred
• Proven Process analysis experience preferred

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and defeating diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.