Digital Automation Staff Engineer

Thermo Fisher Scientific • Carlsbad, CA

23h • $115,000 - $152,800 • Remote

About The Position

Thermo Fisher Scientific is seeking a hands-on Digital Automation Staff Engineer for the Life Sciences Group (LSG) Advanced Engineering team. The role will help build an operations-led automation acceleration capability by personally developing and deploying custom manufacturing software and configuring, integrating, and deploying off-the-shelf solutions across global sites. The work is intended to deliver reusable digital capabilities that reduce operator, quality, and administrative burden.

The position partners with site Operations, process owners, Factory Automation Engineers, Quality, and IT to select projects, prepare workflows for digitization, define requirements and measurable benefits, and ensure site readiness. The engineer owns software design and development, platform configuration, manufacturing and enterprise integration, validation, deployment, troubleshooting, training, and support practices. The role also assesses existing digital assets, develops reusable modules and reference architectures, measures adoption and manufacturing outcomes, mentors site teams, and improves cross-site deployment playbooks.

Candidates near Thermo Fisher facilities in Frederick, Maryland; Austin, Texas; Carlsbad, California; Pleasanton, California; Eugene, Oregon; or Rockford, Illinois are preferred. Remote candidates will also be considered. The stated work schedule is standard Monday through Friday. The work environment is an office, with some degree of PPE required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, or Systems Engineering, or equivalent qualified experience.
• 7+ years in software, digital, or automation engineering, including hands-on custom development and off-the-shelf platform configuration and integration through manufacturing deployment, adoption, and support.
• Strong software engineering skills in modular design, APIs, version control, automated testing, deployment, monitoring, and production troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing workflows, MES/EBR concepts, structured data models, contextualization, and shop-floor/enterprise integration.
• Ability to make sound build/reuse/buy decisions and translate process needs into usable solutions; communicate with operators, engineering, Quality, and IT, including during on-site deployment support.
• Hands-on application development with Python, C#, or JavaScript/TypeScript, plus SQL and APIs.
• Hands-on experience with off-the-shelf manufacturing platforms, workflow configuration, extensions, and integration with existing systems.
• Hands-on experience with industrial data brokers, OPC UA, MQTT, unified namespace (UNS), and edge/cloud integration.
• Hands-on experience with user acceptance testing, risk-based validation, access controls, required audit trails, and controlled releases.

Nice To Haves

• At least 2 years supporting multiple sites, preferred.
• Experience in life sciences, biotechnology, medical devices, or another regulated manufacturing environment, ideally.

Responsibilities

• Partner with site Operations and process owners to select lighthouse projects, align workflows before digitization, and define user requirements, acceptance criteria, measurable benefits, and site readiness.
• Design, code, test, and deploy custom manufacturing applications, reusable services, data pipelines, and user interfaces, including capabilities such as digital tier management, electronic work instructions, traceability, and selected MES or electronic batch record functions.
• Evaluate, configure, extend, and integrate off-the-shelf manufacturing software; determine whether to reuse, build, buy, or selectively outsource based on fit, cost, compliance, supportability, and value.
• Own technical integration with equipment, manufacturing systems, ERP, and other enterprise systems of record, partnering with Factory Automation Engineers on connectivity, data definitions, and interfaces.
• Work with IT on approved infrastructure, identity, networking, cybersecurity, enterprise integration, and architecture; build solutions with appropriate access controls, monitoring, backup, recovery, and data integrity.
• Embed Quality and validation from requirements through release; develop risk-based testing and validation evidence, execute user acceptance testing with sites, and manage controlled changes while preserving independent approval responsibilities.
• Lead pilot releases, production deployment, troubleshooting, and user training; establish source control, release procedures, documentation, and support ownership, and iterate based on operator feedback.
• Assess digital assets for reuse and co-development, transfer knowledge for local support, build reusable modules and reference architectures, and collaborate with IT on approved AI and software tools, including reviewing and testing generated code.
• Measure deployment time, lifecycle cost, adoption, reliability, and manufacturing outcomes against baselines; share demonstrated wins, mentor site teams, and improve reusable products and cross-site deployment playbooks.

Benefits

• Variable annual bonus may be available based on company, team, and/or individual performance results, in accordance with company policy.
• Choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs.
• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement.
• At least 120 hours of paid time off (PTO) and 10 paid holidays annually.
• Paid parental leave, including 3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave.
• Accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy.
• 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan.
• Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), offering eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior