Project Engineer III

Avid Bioservices•Costa Mesa, CA

28d•$92,800 - $116,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Project Engineer III supports the successful delivery of capital and facility projects in a cGMP environment, from initiation and scoping through execution and closeout. The role supports CapEx project teams and CapEx Project Managers by developing technical scopes of work, coordinating technical and construction activities, and partnering with cross-functional teams, contractors, and vendors to deliver defined scope, schedule, cost, quality, and compliance outcomes. The engineer works with growing independence on routine to moderately complex projects and escalates material risks, changes, or decisions requiring leadership approval. The position combines technical engineering judgment with disciplined project execution in an operating biopharmaceutical facility. This is a full-time, on-site, exempt position based in Costa Mesa, California. Work is generally Monday through Friday unless otherwise stated by the Supervisor. Project needs may occasionally require work outside regular business hours to support construction, shutdown, commissioning, or facility activities. The role includes work in office, construction, utility, warehouse, and manufacturing environments. Duties may involve standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, climbing, and occasional work near moving equipment, outdoors, on elevated surfaces, in confined spaces, or in areas with noise, temperature variation, or chemical exposure. The role may require lifting or moving up to 25 pounds. Required personal protective equipment and site safety procedures must be followed. Reasonable accommodations are available to enable individuals with different abilities to perform essential job functions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction engineering, construction management, or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant technical experience.
At least six years of relevant experience as a facility design architect or engineer, construction project engineer, or facilities engineer delivering capital projects in a life sciences cGMP production environment.
Experience supporting and coordinating simultaneous capital projects through all project phases, including planning, initiation, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout.
Working knowledge of cGMP regulations and operations, including familiarity with system lifecycle documentation such as URS, DS, and SOPs, and document control processes.
Ability to read and work with technical drawings and specifications, including facility drawings, P&IDs, and equipment shop drawings.
Familiarity with construction administration procedures and workflows, including design reviews, submittal and shop drawing review, and RFIs.
Strong organizational skills in project file recordkeeping and management.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and project documentation tools.
Structured problem-solving ability and practical engineering judgment.
Clear, confident communication of project status, risks, decisions, and expectations.
Ability to organize multiple priorities and follow through on commitments.
Ability to build productive working relationships across technical, operational, and business teams, and with contractors and vendors.

Nice To Haves

Experience in architectural design or engineering, commercial construction, commissioning, qualification, or validation within a biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or other regulated life sciences environment.
Experience with facility operations or facility construction on an operationally active manufacturing site.
Experience with construction and equipment specifications, MEP/F, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, or drawing and document management systems.
Experience supporting vendor or contractor selection, purchase requests, contracts, or capital budget tracking.
Experience leading multiple projects simultaneously from conceptual design through closeout.
Formal project management training or a relevant certification.

Responsibilities

Provide subject matter expertise and oversight of facility systems, including process and facility layout, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection.
Develop and maintain project charters, scopes, schedules, budgets, risk registers, status reports, and closeout documentation for assigned capital and facility projects.
Coordinate engineering design, construction, installation, commissioning, and turnover activities to support safe, compliant, and timely project delivery.
Partner with Operations, Facilities, Quality, EHS, Procurement, Finance, and other stakeholders to translate business needs into technical requirements and project deliverables.
Coordinate contractors and vendors, including drawings, submittals, requests for information, site access, work sequencing, schedules, and completion documentation.
Monitor project performance against approved scope, schedule, budget, and quality expectations; identify variances and recommend corrective actions.
Identify and track project risks, constraints, dependencies, and change requests; escalate material issues and support contingency planning.
Ensure project work follows applicable cGMP requirements, company procedures, engineering standards, EHS requirements, and approved change control processes.
Prepare and deliver project updates for stakeholders and maintain accurate project records throughout the project lifecycle.
Support equipment and facility qualification activities and coordinate turnover packages with appropriate technical and quality partners.