Sr Manager Automation & Electrical Maintenance Engineering

Scientific Protein Laboratories•Waunakee, WI

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Scientific Protein Laboratories (SPL), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development and cGMP-compliant manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients, is hiring a Sr. Manager – Automation & Electrical Maintenance Engineering for its Waunakee, Wisconsin site. The role leads the automation, electrical, and instrumentation team within Engineering & Maintenance and is responsible for engineering and maintenance of these systems in a cGMP environment. The manager oversees OT and process control systems, PLCs, GAMP compliance, electrical distribution and utilities, instrumentation, security systems, and the electronic components of fire protection and life-safety systems. Responsibilities also include the GMP metrology and calibration program, day-to-day automation and electrical maintenance, systems integration, and the automation and electrical scope of capital projects. The role establishes technical standards and directs, reviews, coordinates, and approves work supporting facility and production needs. The position ensures systems are maintained and supported 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including building and managing an on-call rotation. It requires an elevated degree of professionalism, independence, and ownership. The manager also supports emergency situations outside normal work hours when incidents compromise facility readiness for normal business functions.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or a related scientific discipline.
At least 10 years of engineering experience in a chemical or pharmaceutical production environment, or equivalent, including automation, controls, and electrical systems.

Nice To Haves

Electrical Engineering degree.
Advanced degree in a scientific discipline or other technical area.
At least 5 years of experience in a regulated environment, including ISO, cGMP, GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, and OSHA 1910.119 (PSM).
At least 3 years of people leadership experience with automation, electrical, or instrumentation teams.

Responsibilities

Lead the automation, electrical, and instrumentation team, including the Supervisor - GMP Metrology & Calibration, the Supervisor - Automation & Electrical Maintenance, and engineering and systems integration staff; set technical direction and priorities.
Recruit, train, and develop staff; set technical expectations, scope and estimate work, assess work quality, and support performance management.
Ensure automation, electrical, and instrumentation equipment is supported 24/7 by managing an on-call rotation, response expectations, escalation paths, and documentation of off-shift issue resolution.
Direct, review, coordinate, and approve electrical work for facility and production needs, including installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of infrastructure and processing equipment.
Own the site electrical distribution system and electrical utilities; set standards, preventive maintenance requirements and schedules, and plan upgrades for reliable power.
Own security systems and the electronic components of fire protection and life-safety systems, including maintenance, troubleshooting, upgrades, inspections, and testing in coordination with EHS and the Mechanical Maintenance, Facilities & Asset Systems team.
Manage OT and process control systems, including PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, historians, networks, and supporting infrastructure; coordinate with IT and use real-time OT data to inform maintenance and throughput optimization.
Oversee the site GMP metrology and calibration program through the Supervisor - GMP Metrology & Calibration, including scope, schedules, procedures, NIST-traceable standards, and out-of-tolerance investigations and impact assessments.
Ensure non-GMP and utility calibrations performed by Instrumentation & Controls Technicians meet defined standards.
Set site standards for instrumentation and control loops, including specification, selection, installation practices, and lifecycle management.
Evaluate equipment, programming, and systems for GAMP compliance; partner with the CSV & DI Compliance Manager to ensure automation changes follow change control and preserve validated status and data integrity.
Provide automation and electrical engineering oversight for capital projects; establish scope standards, review and approve designs, and coordinate with the Head of Project Engineering and project managers to deliver installations on time and on budget.
Design and review PLC programming, process controls, and electrical systems; prepare layouts and technical specifications for construction, maintenance, and repair projects.
Analyze system needs, perform calculations, determine improvement requirements, and investigate applicable codes and standards, including NEC, NFPA 70E, and NFPA 72, to ensure installations comply.
Establish and ensure adherence to electrical safety practices, including lockout/tagout and arc-flash protection, in coordination with EHS.
Ensure department training meets applicable GAMP, cGMP, OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory requirements related to controls, electrical, and instrumentation work.
Develop policies and procedures for maintenance, programming, and support of automation, electrical, and instrumentation systems.
Apply thermal analysis and other predictive maintenance tools; maintain lifecycle and obsolescence plans, including OEM replacements and critical spares, with the Asset Reliability & Engineering Compliance team.
Provide technical leadership for failure investigations, deviations, and CAPAs involving automation, electrical, and instrumentation systems, and lead continuous improvement in these areas.
Develop and manage the team’s budget; identify capital needs and prepare appropriation requests for automation, electrical, and instrumentation systems.
Implement metrics to monitor the effectiveness and continual improvement of assigned functions.
Serve as the automation, electrical, and instrumentation technical expert during regulatory inspections and customer audits.
Ensure electrical and control drawings, schematics, and loop diagrams are updated after changes, following drafting standards owned by the Head of Project Engineering.
Support off-work-hour emergency situations related to incidents that compromise facility preparedness for normal business functions.