Senior Automation Engineer

KBI Biopharma • Durham, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Facilities Engineering Department is responsible for all aspects of maintaining the site infrastructure in an active reliable state to support cGMP operations. Facilities Engineering oversees the architectural features of the buildings, Structural/Civil, Biotech process and laboratory equipment and systems, HVAC, Plant and Clean Utility Systems, Electrical Power and Lighting, and Automation for the facility. A Senior Automation Engineer is responsible for providing technical support for ongoing operations by serving as a system owner for Facilities automation systems, maintaining the site in a compliant state, and ensuring engineering and quality standards are maintained. Facilities Engineering is responsible for the generation and implementation of Change Controls, Corrective Actions Preventive Actions, Deviations, and other quality system records. As a part of project execution, a Senior Automation Engineer will support the design, implementation, commissioning, and validation of new systems or the modification of existing systems and serve as a project manager or lead project engineer for multiple concurrent projects. For larger, more complex projects, a Senior Automation Engineer will manage KBI engineering resources by assigning tasks, setting work priorities, and being responsible for project completion. A Senior Engineer will also manage outside contractors and trades. Project Management activities may include scope definition, scope adherence, stakeholder agreement, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, procurement, and installation support.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering discipline and a minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible instrumentation/automation development, implementation, and maintenance activities or; Bachelor of Science degree and a minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible instrumentation/automation development, implementation, and maintenance activities.
• Minimum 5 years hands on experience with instrumentation and controls equipment including PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, and networking equipment
• Have strong automation engineering skills and ability.
• Have Fieldbus configuration and management experience with Profibus being preferred or be able to obtain the same.
• Experience with Unicorn, Wonderware, Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk, Rockwell Automation RSLogix, Siemens Apogee, Open Process Control (OPC) preferable.
• Experience with qualifiable MES systems, such as OSI Pi preferable.
• Must have experience with Windows Servers hardware and Microsoft Windows - applications.
• Experience with communication protocols including but not limited to RS-485, RS-232, Ethernet, Modbus & Profibus is preferable.
• Experience in Biopharmaceutical manufacturing preferable
• Must have experience with writing protocols, test scripts, user requirements, and system design documents.
• Must have strong organization, interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.
• Must be able to prioritize multiple commitments and technical problems.
• Must have the ability to shift priorities according to changes in department/facility needs and be open to different ideas/approaches.
• Ability to concisely write reports and to effectively communicate information to executive management, managers, technicians, government agencies and customers.
• Ability to apply engineering principles and problem-solving skills to everyday challenges.
• Strong math and analytical skills required.
• Ability to perform heat load calculations and size utility systems.
• Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, variance analysis, and determination of reliability and validity.

Nice To Haves

• Fieldbus configuration and management experience with Profibus being preferred
• Experience with Unicorn, Wonderware, Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk, Rockwell Automation RSLogix, Siemens Apogee, Open Process Control (OPC) preferable.
• Experience with qualifiable MES systems, such as OSI Pi preferable.
• Experience with communication protocols including but not limited to RS-485, RS-232, Ethernet, Modbus & Profibus is preferable.
• Experience in Biopharmaceutical manufacturing preferable

Responsibilities

• Direct or support concurrent automation engineering projects on both technical and project management aspects for capital and operational projects while ensuring their success in meeting their respective objectives.
• Support the maintenance oversight of site instrumentation, plant level automation hard and software, and oversight of the Manufacturing Execution Systems, Building Management System, and Data Historian.
• Support Validation with the planning and execution of commissioning and validation protocols.
• Support CAPA, Change Control, Deviation, Risk Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, and other Quality Systems.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures and other procedures for installed systems.
• Support and comply with engineering standards, drawing controls, project controls and other procedures and standards necessary for the successful operation of the department as well as the creation and maintenance of the same.

What This Job Offers

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