Senior Pilot Plant Automation Engineer – Biologics

Merck; West Point (PA); On-site; USD 117,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) retirement benefits

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Merck is seeking a Senior Specialist, Pilot Plant Automation Engineer to lead automation activities supporting pilot-scale GMP manufacturing of biologics, vaccines, and therapeutic proteins. You will provide technical leadership for automation systems and drive implementation, qualification, and continuous improvement within the pilot plant environment.

The role requires hands-on experience with Ignition or DeltaV, strong GMP background, and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, including at least 3 years of automation engineering.
• Hands-on automation experience with Ignition and/or DeltaV platforms.
• Experience supporting GMP manufacturing operations within the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, or vaccine industry.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and ongoing support for facility automation systems.
• Serve as the automation subject matter expert for GMP clinical manufacturing campaigns.
• Lead and/or execute the integration, commissioning, qualification, and startup of new equipment and automation projects.
• Author, review, and approve GMP documentation, including: Change controls Test protocols SDLC documentation Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Safety assessments Deviation investigations and corrective actions
• Lead maintenance, lifecycle management, and upgrade initiatives for automation systems.
• Evaluate and implement new automation technologies to improve plant reliability, efficiency, and operational performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in a multidisciplinary project environment.
• Cross-train across multiple technologies, systems, and manufacturing processes to expand technical expertise.

Skills

Ignition

DeltaV

GMP Operations

Cross-functional Collaboration

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/CS

Tools

MES

Windows administration

Cybersecurity

Job description

Merck is seeking a Senior Specialist, Pilot Plant Automation Engineer to lead automation activities supporting pilot-scale GMP manufacturing of biologics, vaccines, and therapeutic proteins. You will provide technical leadership for automation systems and drive implementation, qualification, and continuous improvement within the pilot plant environment.

The role requires hands-on experience with Ignition or DeltaV, strong GMP background, and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams