Director, Automation Engineering

Curia • City of Albany, NY

18h • Remote

About The Position

This position is responsible for leading the strategic design, implementation, and standardization of automation systems across our global manufacturing footprint. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence, ensuring regulatory compliance, and spearheading the digital transformation of our production facilities to support Curia’s strategic capital initiatives. As the global lead, you will bridge the gap between high-level corporate strategy and site-level execution, ensuring that our automation infrastructure is scalable, secure, and optimized for the next generation of life-saving medicine. This position interfaces with Curia’s manufacturing plants and other departments within Curia’s network and reports to the Senior Director of Project Engineering. Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers’ therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients’ lives.

Requirements

• BS in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• Minimum 15 years in automation engineering within a heavy industrial or manufacturing environment
• Minimum 5 years in a senior management or director-level role, ideally managing global or remote teams
• Proven track record in leading large-scale automation projects from concept through validation
• Strong experience in Electronic Batch Records (EBR), MES integration, and process control optimization
• Ability to navigate diverse cultural and regulatory landscapes (FDA, EMA, etc.)
• Exceptional ability to translate complex technical concepts for executive stakeholders
• Demonstrated aptitude and attitude to become immersed in the resolution of technical challenges and technological advancements
• Excellent relationship management, communication, and presentation skills
• Ability to effectively manage and influence cross-functional teams
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to plan, implement, and achieve significant, complex goals and objectives
• Demonstrated leadership with proven success in challenging the status quo
• Strong organizational and planning skills, as well as a high energy level and initiative
• Must pass a background check
• Must pass a drug screen
• May be required to pass Occupational Health Screening
• May be required to obtain and maintain gowning certification
• May be required to obtain and maintain media qualification

Nice To Haves

• Expertise in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and GAMP5 standards within a regulated environment preferred

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year global automation roadmap, aligning with Industry 4.0 standards and corporate growth objectives
• Establish and enforce global engineering standards for PLC, SCADA, DCS, and robotics to ensure consistency across all international sites
• Serve as the lead technical authority for large-scale capital projects, overseeing the design, installation, and commissioning of complex automation suites
• Drive the integration of Electronic Batch Records (EBR) and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to move toward paperless manufacturing
• Utilize advanced automation data to identify bottlenecks, reduce cycle times, and improve yield through continuous process improvement
• Partner with Quality, IT, and Operations to maintain a robust validated state while driving technological innovation
• Manage strategic partnerships with global automation vendors and system integrators to ensure high-quality delivery and cost-effectiveness
• Up to 40% of travel, including international

Benefits

• Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment)
• Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)
• Career advancement opportunities
• Education reimbursement
• 401K program with matching contributions
• Learning platform

What This Job Offers

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