Sr Automation Engineer

SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening); Florence (SC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive plan bonus

Healthcare

Employee benefits

Job summary

Thermo Fisher Scientific in Florence, SC seeks a Senior Automation Engineer to optimize automated production and drive continuous improvement. You will support manufacturing with DeltaV/PlantPAx platforms, ensure cGMP compliance, and collaborate across IT, Quality, and Process Engineering to deliver robust solutions.

You will design, implement, and validate control systems, troubleshoot on-call, and mentor junior engineers while advancing manufacturing capabilities on site.

Qualifications

• BS in Engineering or related field with 8+ years in regulated industries.
• Experience with DeltaV and PlantPAx; S88 batch control required.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and scale/maintain I/O systems.
• Familiarity with GMP, FDA regulations and validation practices.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Design, configure, install and maintain automation software and hardware.
• Lead projects with IT, Quality, Production, and Validation teams.
• Develop and validate system documentation and specifications.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and participate in system upgrades.

Skills

S88 batch control

Electrical schematics reading

IT/OT networking

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory GMP knowledge

Education

BS in Engineering or related field

Tools

Emerson DeltaV

Rockwell PlantPAx

Allen-Bradley PLCs

HMI/SCADA systems

PanelView/Distributed Control System

OSI PI Historian

Job description

Environmental Conditions

Able to lift 40 lbs. without assistance, Office, Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.)

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Job Description

Title: Senior Automation Engineer As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

Division/Site Specific Information

Position will sit onsite at the Florence, SC site and will support the Drug Substance Division (DSD) at Thermo Fisher Scientific. This role, reporting to the Automation Manager, ensures the flawless support, maintenance, and implementation of automated systems at our Florence, South Carolina location.

Work schedule will be standard 8-5, M – F fully onsite

Work schedule will be standard 8-5, M – F fully onsite

Discover Impactful Work

As a Senior Automation Engineer at Thermo Fisher Scientific, you will optimize production processes, implement new automation technologies, and drive continuous improvement initiatives. You'll work with cross-functional teams to ensure the efficient manufacture of high-quality products while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements. This position offers the opportunity to contribute meaningfully by enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer through innovative manufacturing solutions.

A Day In The Life

• You will provide design, configuration, installation, and maintenance of automation software and associated hardware; including interacting with other teams as necessary.
• Working with IT, Quality, Production, and other departments, you'll optimize existing automated processes while ensuring consistent product quality and regulatory compliance.
• Your analytical skills and engineering expertise will help drive cost reductions, improve efficiency, and enhance manufacturing capabilities across our operations.
• Design, configure, and troubleshoot industrial I/O systems, including sensors, actuators, and field instrumentation, ensuring accurate signal mapping and reliable integration with control systems.

Key Responsibilities

Troubleshooting & Support: Provide rotating on-call (24/7) technical support, troubleshooting, and optimization for manufacturing systems, including but not limited to: Allen-Bradley (Rockwell) family products, Emerson DeltaV, WonderWare, Honeywell, current DCS, and data historians.

• System Design & Implementation: Contribute to automation and control system design; oversee contractors during implementation, commissioning, and validation of systems for both production and utility systems.
• Documentation: Develop, review, and maintain documentation including, but not limited to functional design specifications (FDS), software design documentation, and validation protocols.
• Compliance & Validation: Ensure all systems comply with cGMP, GAMP 5, and FDA regulatory requirements.
• Project Execution: Partner with cross-functional teams (Process Engineering, Operations, Validation, Quality, IT) to execute automation projects, manage vendors, and support system upgrades and lifecycle management.

Supervision

• Leads multidisciplinary project teams and manages third-party contractors and engineering service providers as required. Supervisory responsibilities and mentorship of less-experienced engineers may be required.

Keys to Success

• BS in Engineering, Computer Science or related Engineering/ Science field with 8 years of experience within regulated industries (pharmaceutical, medical device, or similar).

Preferred

• Experience would include at least 5 years of hands‑on experience with the Emerson DeltaV or Rockwell PlantPAx commercial Distributed Control System.

Experience

• Proven experience applying S88 in an automated environment and development of control system standards aligning with S88 methodology is required.
• Experience developing and supporting either Rockwell PlantPAx or Emerson DeltaV as a commercial Distributed Control System including is required.
• Hands‑on experience with some of a broad range of Allen‑Bradley PLCs and PanelView display products is preferred.
• Experience with data historian program development, configuration, and maintenance with at least one of the following historians is required: OSI (AVEVA) PI, Rockwell FTHistorian, DeltaV continuous historian is required.
• Experience with virtual machine environment and hypervisor software is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Experience developing and supporting either Rockwell PlantPAx or Emerson DeltaV as a commercial Distributed Control System.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and technical drawings with working knowledge of basic electrical circuits as related to I/O specification, selection and configuration
• Exhibited knowledge of S88 batch control and configuration
• Exhibited knowledge of batch reporting is required
• Working knowledge of database structure including SQL Server, with experience in data queries, support, and basic database management
• Working knowledge of IT/OT networking including managed switch, VLAN and firewall configuration and management
• Strong knowledge of GMP and life sciences regulatory requirements.
• Proficiency in PLC programming, HMI/SCADA systems, DCS platforms, and industrial networking.

Benefits

We offer competitive remuneration, annual incentive plan bonus, healthcare, and a range of employee benefits. Thermo Fisher Scientific offers employment with an innovative, forward-thinking organization, and outstanding career and development prospects. We offer an exciting company culture that stands for integrity, intensity, involvement, and innovation!