Manufacturing Automation Engineer

Elanco•Elwood, KS

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN), a global leader in animal health, the company is dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. Driven by a vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and a purpose to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People, Elanco fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment. The Manufacturing Automation Engineer will support the design, operation, control, and optimization of assets and manufacturing processes at the Elwood, Kansas monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturing facility. This role involves developing deep process and equipment expertise, contributing to data analysis, troubleshooting, technology transfer, capital project delivery, and continuous improvement initiatives. The engineer will also play a key role in building and improving local engineering systems aligned with Elanco operational standards, and supporting the development of front-line process engineering talent.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in an Engineering discipline
5+ years in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or other regulated manufacturing environment
Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, and experience working in cross-functional teams
Working knowledge of cGMP requirements and regulated manufacturing environments
Strong communication, organizational, and computer skills with ability to work independently and deliver results

Nice To Haves

7+ years of experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology manufacturing environment
Experience in monoclonal antibody or recombinant protein manufacturing
Hands-on experience with upstream and downstream biologics processes (cell culture, purification, chromatography, filtration, viral inactivation, sterilization)
Experience in commissioning, qualification, validation, and technology transfer activities
Capital project design, execution, and engineering leadership experience
Familiarity with systems such as SAP, ERP, AutoCAD, and Veeva Vault
Experience applying RCI, FMEA, and QRM methodologies
Knowledge of USDA and/or EMA regulations for veterinary biologics
Supervisory or people leadership experience

Responsibilities

Provide end-to-end process engineering support for capital projects, including scope definition, design development, equipment selection, commissioning, qualification, validation, and construction oversight
Develop and execute process design tools such as mass and energy balances and support user requirements and technical design specifications
Serve as a subject matter expert for process engineering within capital project teams, ensuring alignment with technical, safety, and regulatory requirements
Create, review, and maintain key technical documentation including URS, P&IDs, PFDs, validation protocols, and safety/environmental assessments
Provide on-floor manufacturing support for troubleshooting, deviation management, and root cause analysis to ensure equipment remains in a qualified state of control
Analyze process and equipment data to identify performance gaps and lead engineering-driven improvements to optimize reliability, capacity, and cost
Lead or support HAZOPs, process safety reviews, and risk assessments to ensure safe, compliant manufacturing operations and mitigation of hazards
Ensure compliance with GMP, regulatory, safety, and environmental requirements while managing change control for equipment, process, and maintenance activities
Support development of the Process Engineering function, including KPI definition, standard work creation, talent development, and cross-functional collaboration with manufacturing and engineering teams