Staff Validation Engineer

PerfVal Labs, Inc.•McPherson, KS

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This role is different from most engineering jobs as it requires specialization early and staying in your lane. At Performance Validation, you'll work directly in FDA-regulated facilities — pharmaceutical plants, medical device manufacturers, biotech labs — making sure the systems and processes that produce life-saving products actually work the way they're supposed to. It's hands-on, technically demanding, and genuinely important work. Performance Validation hires engineers straight out of college and teaches them everything. If you're sharp, curious, and ready to grow fast, they will invest heavily in making you an expert. Performance Validation is a 100% employee-owned consulting firm with over 30 years of experience providing Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) services to the life sciences industry. Their engineers work on-site with pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device clients across the U.S. and internationally, helping them meet rigorous FDA and industry standards. They have teams in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Washington, and North Carolina.

Requirements

A Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related technical field (or equivalent military training)
Genuine curiosity and a drive to understand how things work
High attention to detail — in this industry, documentation errors have real consequences
Strong written and verbal communication skills; you'll be interacting with client engineers, quality managers, and site personnel from day one
Professionalism and dependability; consulting means representing PV on client sites, not just in our offices
Willingness and enthusiasm to travel
Comfort working independently once you've been trained, and the judgment to ask for help when you need it
Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Performance Validation does not anticipate providing visa sponsorship for this position.

Nice To Haves

Preferred engineering disciplines include Biomedical, Chemical, and Mechanical Engineering, though we've built great careers with graduates from a wide range of technical backgrounds.

Responsibilities

Travel to client facilities and perform hands-on qualification and verification activities, including Installation, Operational, and Performance Qualifications (IQ/OQ/PQ)
Develop technical documentation including User Requirements, Risk Assessments, Test Protocols, and Summary Reports under the guidance of senior engineers
Learn to apply FDA regulations (including 21 CFR Parts 11, 210/211, and 820) and cGMP principles to real-world client systems and processes
Perform system walk-downs in manufacturing environments — this is field work, and may involve stairs, ladders, confined spaces, and moderate lifting
Support identification and resolution of test failures and non-conformances
Build expertise in a technical discipline such as thermal mapping, computer systems validation, or process validation — depending on your interests and the needs of your team
This role involves travel to client sites, typically several days per month, with more intensive travel during active project phases.

Benefits

Competitive base salary
Biannual profit sharing — you share directly in the company's success
Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) — you build equity in the company over time, at no cost to you
401(k) with company match
Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Disability and life insurance
Paid vacation and holidays
Cellphone stipend
Structured mentorship from senior engineers on every project team
Internal and external training programs, including industry certifications
A clear path to advancement through our defined career levels
Exposure to diverse industries, clients, and technical disciplines across our national footprint