Specialist, Manufacturing Automation Engineer (Onsite)

Merck • Rahway, NJ

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Enabling Facilities (EF) group within the Chemical Engineering Research & Development (CERD) Department is seeking a highly motivated individual to work in a fast-paced job that provides both technical and project management responsibility. The Specialist – Manufacturing Automation position will report to the Associate Director, Engineering, Automation Lead position and will be a member of the EF Team at the Rahway NJ facility. EF is responsible for development of new technologies/capabilities, execution of capital and non-capital improvement projects, and the automation system assets spanning production, utility systems and associated infrastructure.
The automation engineer role at the Specialist level will serve as technical SME and capital team member supporting the Modality Agnostic Chemistry Scaleup (MACS) Center. This is a new potent, multi-modality (small molecule, macrocyclic peptides, bioconjugates) Drug Substance development and GMP clinical manufacturing plant currently planned in Rahway, New Jersey. The automation engineering role at the Specialist level will serve as a team member of the MACS Center design, commissioning, and qualification teams; and will go on to support new and/or existing facilities across the Small Molecule Process Research & Development (SM PR&D) network.
As the facility is currently under construction, the selected candidate will contribute to automation equipment and software design, system commissioning/qualification, as well as other automation areas critical activities to enable facility startup. The selected candidate is expected to be a key part of the MACS Project Automation Team and foster a culture of collaboration, learning and innovation. This will also require close collaboration with the development engineers & chemists, compliance representatives, and other team members. This role will be part of the broader Enabling Facilities Automation Team supporting facility operations, process development activities, compliance investigation, change management and the authoring of GMP documentation in any of our enabling facilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Automation, Engineering, Science, or Computer-Programming related degree with minimum of 4 years relevant experience, or a Masters degree with 3 years of relevant experience
• Ability to understand, update, design and implement modifications in DeltaV or PLC based platforms (i.e. Rockwell).
• Ability to problem solve/troubleshoot, with knowledge of root cause analysis.
• Ability to prepare/review Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and cGMP documents.
• Experience with Quality Systems.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Excellent organizational skills to multi-task.
• Desire and willingness to learn and contribute.
• Knowledge of automation items such as wiring, electrical, device selection or integration.
• Candidates must be able to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team.
• Strong analytical thinking and technical writing skills
• Proficient in MS Office Platform and document storage systems.
• An ability to foster innovation, creativity, and self-initiative along with ability to plan and organize activities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with DeltaV Live, DeltaV Batch, and Charms I/O.
• Working knowledge of general OPC and Modbus interfaces.
• Experience with automation system design, start-up and/or qualification.
• Knowledge of PLCs, HMIs or other types of Control Systems including Rockwell and Siemens.
• Understanding of Object-Oriented languages.
• Past experience programing in a professional setting.
• Strong background in IT systems; specifically, integration of Automation systems with IT systems.
• Networking experience; working knowledge of Enterprise Networking and local control networks.
• Experience with coordinating maintenance activities around processing activities to support reliable facility operation.
• Experience in Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and/or Level of Protection Analysis (LOPA).

Responsibilities

• The automaton engineer will troubleshoot automation and instrumentation issues, perform root cause analysis and implement corrective/preventive actions to improve reliability, safety, and energy performance.
• Develop, test, and deploy logic graphics for various systems in the facility.
• Manage system patches, firmware upgrades, backup/restore strategies, and cybersecurity hardening aligned with corporate policies.
• Ensure robust data integrity and audit trails suitable for operations.
• Support capital projects work to design, install, and commission new equipment to support. Write, review or execute test documents.
• Provide on-call support rotation for facility operations.
• Collaborate closely with operations, maintenance, and IT to align automation solutions with uptime, safety, sustainability, and efficiency goals.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives: standardization, modular code libraries, alarm rationalization, and enhanced diagnostics/monitoring for utilities equipment.

Benefits

• The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees