Director, Automation

Fujifilm•Holly Springs, NC

10d

About The Position

The Director, Automation is responsible for setting the direction and managing a central workstream in a $2 billion global project. This includes developing and executing plans to enhance operational efficiency, streamline processes, and leverage technology for improved performance. As the Director, this role bridges the gap between technical expertise and business objectives to drive innovation, efficiency, and execution. Additionally, this role ensures that the right people are assigned to the right tasks and projects providing challenge and enhancement to their skills. FUJIFILM Biotechnologies is building the future of bioproduction in Holly Springs, North Carolina. By end of 2025, we’ll open North America’s largest end-to-end CDMO biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility, offering drug substance production, fill-finish, and packaging under one roof. We’re looking for passionate, mission-driven people to help us realize this exciting vision and deliver the next vaccine, cure, or therapy. We offer a dynamic work environment and we’re proud to cultivate a culture that will fuel your purpose, energy, and drive—what we call Genki. Ready to shape the future of medicine? Let’s transform healthcare together! Holly Springs, North Carolina, combines small-town warmth with proximity to Raleigh’s thriving tech scene, making it the perfect blend of community and opportunity. Fujifilm is globally headquartered in Tokyo with over 70,000 employees across four key business segments of healthcare, electronics, business innovation, and imaging. We are guided and united by our Group Purpose of “giving our world more smiles.”

Requirements

Ability to collaborate across the site and globally due to the significant interface within the organization
Excellent communication, both written and oral
Strong technical expertise in relevant automation platforms, specifically DeltaV
Ability to lead and coach a 20+ personnel engineering team within a matrixed organization
Demonstrated ability to hire and develop technical talent to lead a high performing team and projects
Ability to drive core team culture priorities (e.g., safety, GEMBA, leadership principals, cost-consciousness) into the ways of working
Ability to effectively present information to others
Must be flexible to support 24/7 manufacturing facility
Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related scientific field with 10+ years of related experience; or Master’s degree in engineering or related scientific field with 8+ years of related experience
6+ years’ experience managing, leading, and developing others
2+ years’ experience leading and developing other leaders
Experience working in a changing, project driven organization
Experience working in a CGMP facility and with FDA regulations

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in engineering or related scientific field
6-10 years’ experience in a pharmaceutical / biological manufacturing operation
Previous experience leading an automation team at a greenfield site

Responsibilities

Develops and executes automation strategies that align with site goals, including Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) phase support, automation hyper care during ramp-up to operations, production optimization, and streamlining processes
Ensures that automation systems and processes comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) and other relevant regulations
Oversees the selection, implementation, and management of automation technologies (e.g., Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Manufacturing Execution System (MES)) and leads initiatives where partners have been pre-selected
Leads automation engineers and other team members by fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement
Encourages a culture of continuous learning and development, including real-time feedback and coaching to ensure the team is positioned for growth
Partners closely with various departments (e.g., Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality Assurance, IT) to ensure successful integration and implementation of automation solutions
Manages the planning, execution, and delivery of automation projects, including technology transfer within established timelines and budgets
Drives continuous improvement initiatives to enhance process efficiency and production quality with a cost-conscious mindset
Completes required administrative tasks (e.g., timecard approvals, time off approvals, expense reports etc.)
Evaluates team performance and partners with HR to proactively address and resolve gaps, and implements measures to improve productivity and engagement to develop high-potential employees
Participates in the recruitment process and partners with stakeholders to implement recruitment and retentions strategies to secure
Performs other duties, as assigned