Senior Systems Engineer

STERIS Corporation • Sanford, NC

10d • $107,525 - $139,150

About The Position

The Senior Systems Engineer defines, designs, integrates, and sustains the digital and controls architecture supporting automated batching, liquid processing, and packaging operations. The role translates business, quality, process, and operational needs into software and functional requirements; establishes PLC, HMI/SCADA, batch-control, data, and reporting capabilities; and integrates equipment and information systems across processing and packaging. The position develops process models, visual dashboards, automated reports, and performance-monitoring tools that provide insight into batch execution, product quality, equipment performance, material flow, and production output. It also supports automated batch records and Process Analytical Technology (PAT), with a focus on reliable, secure, maintainable, data-integrity-compliant solutions aligned with site automation and manufacturing strategies. Domestic travel of up to 10% is required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems, Controls, Electrical, Computer, Chemical, or related Engineering.
• Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years of progressive experience in industrial automation, systems engineering, controls engineering, manufacturing software, or OT systems within batch processing and/or high-speed liquid packaging.
• 7+ years of experience in industrial automation or manufacturing systems engineering.
• 5+ years of experience in PLC/HMI/SCADA design and programming.
• 5+ years of experience in system integration across process and packaging equipment.
• 4+ years of experience in batch control, recipe management, and ISA-88 application.
• 4+ years of experience in software/functional requirements and design specifications.
• 4+ years of experience in manufacturing data, dashboards, visualization, and reporting.
• 3+ years of experience in commissioning, FAT/SAT, startup, and lifecycle support.
• 3+ years of experience in automated batch records, MES/eBR, or electronic workflow.
• 2+ years of experience in Process Analytical Technology and analyzer integration.

Nice To Haves

• 3+ years of experience in chemical, specialty chemical, pharmaceutical, food/beverage, personal care, or regulated batch manufacturing.
• 2+ years of experience in liquid filling, capping, labeling, coding, inspection, case packing, palletizing, or warehouse interfaces.
• 3+ years of experience in Rockwell Automation or Siemens PLC platforms; FactoryTalk, WinCC, Ignition, or comparable SCADA/MES tools.
• 2+ years of experience in OPC UA, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, MQTT, REST APIs, SQL, historians, and industrial data platforms.
• 2+ years of experience in ISA-95, IEC 62443, GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, or ALCOA+ data-integrity practices.
• 1+ years of experience in advanced analytics, multivariate analysis, soft sensors, or model-predictive control.

Responsibilities

• Lead definition of user, business, functional, software, interface, and data requirements for automated batching, liquid processing, packaging, utilities, and supporting manufacturing systems.
• Develop and maintain control-system architecture and capability standards for PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, batch engines, safety interfaces, motion, vision, robotics, weigh systems, instrumentation, and packaging-line controls.
• Define equipment and system integrations across processing and packaging, including machine-to-machine communications and interfaces with MES, LIMS, historians, ERP, CMMS, warehouse, serialization, and reporting platforms.
• Ensure recipes, units, phases, equipment modules, procedural control, exception handling, electronic signatures, and batch-record structures comply with regulatory requirements.
• Design and support automated batch records, electronic workflows, material verification, parameter capture, alarm/event history, genealogy, review-by-exception, and audit trails.
• Develop PAT strategy for in-line, on-line, or at-line measurements; integrate analyzers and soft sensors; establish data contextualization, multivariate monitoring, control limits, and feedback or feed-forward control where appropriate.
• Create process and capacity models, dashboards, visual management displays, and scheduled reports covering batch cycle time, yield, throughput, OEE, downtime, quality trends, material consumption, schedule attainment, and packaging output.
• Specify and govern automation data models, tag structures, naming conventions, time synchronization, master data, historian collection, SQL/reporting logic, data retention, and data-integrity requirements.
• Lead controls and software design reviews, supplier technical evaluations, FAT/SAT, commissioning, startup, validation/qualification, performance testing, and turnover of integrated systems.
• Troubleshoot controls, network, software, instrumentation, data, and integration issues; perform root cause analysis; manage changes; maintain backups and disaster-recovery plans; and train Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and IT/OT support personnel.

Benefits

• The position is eligible for bonus participation.
• STERIS offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits portfolio; details are available through the STERIS Benefits list.

What This Job Offers

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