Validation Engineer

Actalent; McHenry (IL); On-site; USD 69,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent in McHenry, IL is seeking a Validation Engineer to support cleanroom qualification activities across 30+ rooms, with a heavy emphasis on smoke studies to verify airflow and protect products from contamination.

Responsibilities include performing smoke studies, developing and maintaining IQ/OQ/PQ protocols and reports, supporting HVAC validation, and ensuring GMP compliance. Collaboration with manufacturing, quality, and engineering teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field is required.
• 3-5+ years of validation engineering experience.
• Experience with cleanroom qualification, smoke studies, HVAC validation, and GMP environments.

Responsibilities

• Perform and support cleanroom smoke studies across multiple rooms.
• Evaluate airflow to ensure laminar flow and first-air protection.
• Identify turbulence or contamination risks and advise mitigations.
• Execute IQ/OQ/PQ and maintain validation documentation.
• Support HVAC and airflow validation efforts and GMP compliance.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and engineering teams.

Skills

Smoke studies

Cleanroom qualification

HVAC validation

IQ/OQ/PQ execution

GMP environments

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

Validation Engineer (Cleanroom Smoke Studies)

Overview

Our client is seeking a Validation Engineer to support cleanroom qualification activities across 30+ rooms. This role will focus heavily on smoke studies (airflow visualization studies) used to verify that HEPA-filtered air moves through cleanroom environments as intended and protects products from contamination.

Smoke studies are conducted by introducing a visible, non-contaminating smoke or fog into a cleanroom, isolator, biosafety cabinet, or manufacturing area to evaluate airflow patterns. These studies are video-recorded for validation and regulatory compliance purposes.

• Perform and support cleanroom smoke studies across multiple manufacturing and controlled environments.
• Evaluate airflow to ensure:
• Proper unidirectional (laminar) airflow where required
• First-air protection of critical product-contact areas
• Absence of turbulence, stagnant zones, or airflow disruptions
• Protection from contamination caused by personnel, equipment, or adjacent areas
• Compliance during normal operations and intervention activities
• Execute cleanroom qualification and validation activities.
• Develop, review, and maintain validation documentation, including IQ/OQ/PQ protocols and reports.
• Support HVAC and airflow validation efforts.
• Ensure compliance with GMP and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and engineering teams to resolve validation and compliance issues.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
• 3-5+ years of recent validation engineering experience.
• Experience with most of the following:
• Cleanroom qualification
• Smoke studies / airflow visualization
• HVAC and airflow validation
• GMP-regulated environments
• Aseptic manufacturing or processing environments
• IQ/OQ/PQ execution and validation documentation

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device manufacturing environments.
• Strong technical writing and documentation skills.
• Experience with regulatory inspections and compliance activities.
• Ability to manage multiple validation projects across numerous cleanroom areas simultaneously.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of McHenry, IL.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $65.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of McHenry, IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 9, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in McHenry,IL.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.