Senior Spray Drying Operations Engineer – Start-Up

Merck; Elkton (VA); On-site; USD 96,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck in Elkton, VA is seeking a Senior Operations Engineer - Spray Drying to support commissioning, qualification, start-up, and readiness of a new Small Molecule facility. You will partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and other teams to ensure safe, compliant plant start-up and continuous improvement.

The role requires a Bachelor's in a technical field and at least 5 years in Drug Product/SDI manufacturing, with strong GMP knowledge.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a technical discipline; Chemical/Pharmaceutical/Biochemical preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in Drug Product/SDI manufacturing or related spray drying operations.
• Experience working in cross-functional manufacturing, technical, or operational settings.
• Experience with GMP, quality, and compliance in pharma manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Support commissioning, qualification, start-up, and operational readiness for the new SDI Small Molecule facility in Elkton, VA.
• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Technical Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure safe, compliant start-up.
• Provide technical and operational support during equipment and process start-up, troubleshooting, and optimization.
• Support technology transfer and implementation of commercial processes into the new facility.
• Help define and improve operating practices, standard work, and procedures for reliable operations.
• Coordinate improvement activities and focus areas within the IPT aligned with business goals.
• Apply lean principles (Kaizen, 5S, visual management, Standard Work) to identify improvements.
• Embed best practices across shifts and functions to promote consistency and execution.
• Foster a culture of safety, quality, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Adaptability

Analytical Problem Solving

Cross-Functional PM

cGMP Compliance

Data Analysis

Manufacturing

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Pharmaceutical Engineering or related

Tools

SAP

Job description

Merck in Elkton, VA is seeking a Senior Operations Engineer - Spray Drying to support commissioning, qualification, start-up, and readiness of a new Small Molecule facility. You will partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and other teams to ensure safe, compliant plant start-up and continuous improvement.

The role requires a Bachelor's in a technical field and at least 5 years in Drug Product/SDI manufacturing, with strong GMP knowledge.