Sr.Manager, Logistics and Packaging Process Owner

Thermo Fisher Scientific•Morrisville, NC

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Digital Operations and Manufacturing Automation team is seeking a Sr. Manager, Logistics and Packaging Process Owner to develop and implement automated packaging solutions across a diverse manufacturing network. The role serves as the primary subject matter expert for packaging processes across multiple manufacturing environments, including bottles, vials, cell culture products, consumables, and other manufactured components. The process owner partners with global teams, R&D, Engineering, Operations, and Automation teams to standardize processes, eliminate waste, improve material flow, optimize packaging operations, and accelerate automation transformation. The position combines packaging automation expertise with hands-on engineering and troubleshooting, supplier management, and communication skills. It supports manufacturing sites in evaluating packaging operations, developing automation concepts, specifying and integrating equipment, managing suppliers and project execution, and ensuring regulatory, quality, and safety compliance. The role also promotes Lean Manufacturing, reusable equipment concepts, standards, training, operational readiness, and performance measurement across Thermo Fisher locations. Travel to manufacturing and engineering sites in the Americas and EMEA is required. Expected travel is 30%, with increased travel during site assessments, equipment builds, FAT, installation, and qualification.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Automation, Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
8+ years of proven ability in packaging automation, manufacturing automation, automated equipment development, or a related engineering field.
Demonstrated experience developing or implementing automated packaging equipment and systems.
Experience taking automation projects from initial concept and specification through design, fabrication, FAT, installation, and production qualification.
Hands-on experience troubleshooting automated equipment and resolving technical problems.
Experience with several of the following technologies: automated bagging and pouching; cartoning and case packing; labeling and product identification; robotic pick-and-place; conveying and product handling; palletizing and end-of-line automation.
Strong communication skills.
Willingness to travel to manufacturing and engineering sites in the Americas and EMEA; expected travel is 30%, with periods of increased travel during site assessments, equipment builds, FAT, installation, and qualification.

Responsibilities

Work with manufacturing sites to evaluate manual packaging operations and identify opportunities to reduce labor, improve safety and ergonomics, increase productivity, and improve process consistency.
Develop automation concepts for product handling, bagging, pouching, sealing, cartoning, labeling, shrink wrapping, case packing, conveying, inspection, and palletizing.
Evaluate applications for robotics, cobots, machine vision, flexible feeding, conveyors, automated material handling, and other packaging technologies.
Develop solutions that accommodate multiple products, package formats, production volumes, and changeover requirements.
Support sites in developing technical requirements and User Requirement Specifications (URS), and in designing primary and secondary packaging equipment, robotic palletizing, labeling, vision verification systems, and material movement systems such as AGVs, AMRs, and conveyors.
Collaborate with IT/OT and engineering teams to integrate shop-floor automation with MES, WMS, and ERP systems.
Scope work, evaluate proposals, and manage Tier-1 automation vendors, OEMs, and system integrators from design through FAT, SAT, and commissioning.
Ensure suppliers understand requirements for functionality, product handling, cycle time, process capability, quality, safety, documentation, validation, and schedule.
Participate in supplier selection, design reviews, equipment testing, FAT, IQ, OQ, and PQ, installation, commissioning, and production ramp-up.
Ensure packaging processes and equipment designs comply with relevant FDA, GMP, ISO, OSHA/OHSA, and machine-guarding safety requirements.
Facilitate technical discussions between suppliers and global Thermo Fisher teams so engineering intent, technical issues, decisions, and actions are clearly understood.
Establish quality verification checkpoints, such as automated vision inspection, barcode/serialization tracking, and dynamic checkweighers, to eliminate packaging errors.
Apply Lean Manufacturing principles to simplify and optimize processes before introducing automation.
Help develop reusable equipment concepts, supplier capabilities, standards, and best practices for deployment across multiple Thermo Fisher locations.
Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), line-operation training programs, and operational readiness playbooks for local plant engineering and operations teams.
Manage operational metrics, including OEE, scrap rates, downtime, and throughput, and report performance metrics to executive leadership.
Travel to Thermo Fisher manufacturing and engineering sites in the Americas and EMEA to evaluate processes, understand product and manufacturing requirements, and support equipment implementation.