Sr. Principal Engineer - Automation Engineering – Biologics - Lilly Medicine Foundry

Lilly • Indianapolis, IN

1d • $103,500 - $173,800

About The Position

The Sr. Principal Engineer - Automation Engineering will work in Eli Lilly’s Automation Engineering Department at the Lilly Medicine Foundry, supporting one or more biologics operating areas across the site, such as cell culture, purification, and buffer or media preparation, and/or supporting capital projects. The role provides technical leadership for process automation to help deliver a right-first-time facility startup and support ongoing manufacturing operations.

The position is responsible for mentoring employees and ensuring that reliable, compliant, and controlled applications and systems are used in manufacturing. As a key technical expert, the engineer partners across the process control organization and functional disciplines to influence and implement the technical agenda, business priorities, and compliance objectives. During project delivery and startup, expected from 2025 to 2028, responsibilities will evolve to support project delivery, build the organization, develop and implement systems and business processes for GMP operations, and establish the site culture.

The role includes technical leadership of design, implementation, commissioning, and validation work; development and review of DCS and SCADA applications; integration of vendor equipment and skids; support for capital projects and new product introductions; and maintenance of the validated state of site control systems. The engineer may serve as an escalation resource for complex operational and process inquiries. Need-based off-hour support may be required, and some travel is required for equipment and software Factory Acceptance Tests.

The initial work location is Parkwood West in Indianapolis, with a permanent location at the new Lilly Medicine Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana. The anticipated wage is $103,500–$173,800. Full-time equivalent employees are eligible for a company bonus, depending in part on company and individual performance, and eligible employees may participate in a comprehensive benefits program.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or a related discipline.
• At least 8 years of work experience in Automation Engineering, preferably in biologics manufacturing or cell culture, purification, or drug substance/drug product operations.
• Experience designing, developing, commissioning, and qualifying highly automated greenfield or brownfield manufacturing sites using SCADA, DCS, PLC, and MES systems, such as DeltaV, Rockwell, and Syncade.
• Demonstrated initiative, planning and organizational skills, ability to prioritize tasks, and commitment to completing tasks on time.
• Strong problem-solving skills, technical curiosity, and a desire for continuous improvement.
• Ability to influence peers and business partners.
• Good written and verbal communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Knowledge of GMP, regulatory requirements, and computer system validation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience automating biologics manufacturing processes, including mammalian cell culture, harvest, chromatography, UF/DF, viral clearance, and buffer or media preparation.
• Experience with single-use technologies, monoclonal antibodies, or antibody drug conjugates (ADCs).
• Experience with CIP/SIP automation, process analytical technology (PAT), and integration of automated skids and OEM equipment into a plant-wide control architecture.
• Experience facilitating and driving decision-making at an organizational level.
• Ability to foster teamwork and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in DeltaV Distributed Control System, Rockwell Allen-Bradley PLC, and batch process automation.
• Experience with ISA-88 Batch-control standard models, terminology, recipes, and procedural elements.
• Prior work with 21 CFR Part 11 and cGMP regulatory requirements, including computer system validation.
• Proven ability to influence peers and business partners, including without authority, and facilitate organizational decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Mentor the process control team in design, controls philosophy, implementation, and commissioning.
• Coordinate process control work implementation.
• Review and monitor financial performance and work toward meeting targets.
• Develop and implement the Automation Engineering Project Plan.
• Technically lead and oversee work by Site Area leads and System Integrators, including functional requirements, design specifications, DCS application software, and test specifications.
• Lead or participate in design reviews and DeltaV application software reviews, and attend equipment and software Factory Acceptance Tests.
• Lead a team of automation engineers supporting commissioning.
• Provide periodic status updates to Project Management.
• Develop functional requirements and process control strategies for control systems in collaboration with Process Engineering.
• Design, code or configure, and test DCS and SCADA software for biologics unit operations, including sequence logic, graphics, and batch software.
• Design, configure, and test batch automation for biologics unit operations, including bioreactors and cell culture, harvest, chromatography, UF/DF, viral inactivation and filtration, buffer and media preparation, and CIP/SIP.
• Lead integration of vendor-supplied skids, single-use systems, and PLC/HMI-based equipment packages into site DCS, MES, and historian architecture.
• Perform automation engineering activities, including control-loop design, tuning, and troubleshooting.
• Implement and support electronic systems used to capture process automation production data, including plant historians, applications, and software integrations.
• Maintain the validated state of site control systems in line with Lilly quality standards, including development and execution of validation strategies and associated documentation.
• Provide automation support for capital projects, including new product introductions.
• Promote the use of automation to improve productivity, operational efficiency, and compliance.
• Develop a network of corporate contacts and leverage corporate expertise when needed.
• Set and reinforce standards for appropriate rigor in automation work products in coordination with automation and compliance consultants.
• Support flow leadership in running the plant, including participation in management sub-teams.
• Act as an escalation resource for complex operational and process inquiries, providing advanced support and issue resolution as business needs arise.

Benefits

• Company bonus for full-time equivalent employees, depending in part on company and individual performance.
• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k).
• Pension.
• Vacation benefits.
• Eligibility for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits.
• Flexible benefits, such as healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts.
• Life insurance and death benefits.
• Certain time off and leave of absence benefits.
• Well-being benefits, including an employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities.

What This Job Offers

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