Manager, Automation Engineering – Albuquerque, NM

Summary:

Curia provides global contract research and manufacturing services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. 

The Associate Director, Automation Engineering will be responsible for managing a team of automation engineers and supporting contractors to ensure operations performance for various manufacturing, quality, and research automated systems. Team responsibilities include automation system administration, computerized system maintenance, and capital project support. Development and implementation of additional/expanded automation capabilities will be expected.

Join our talented workforce, where a commitment to excellence and a customer focused attitude is everything. We pursue excellence because our work has the power to improve patients’ lives with the pharmaceuticals we develop and manufacture. 

 Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide visible and active leadership for front-line automation engineers, representing the team in tiered value stream meetings, spending time on the shop floor, developing and nurturing relationships with peers, setting direction for the team and operational stakeholders, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Lead the improvement of site automation systems through continuous improvement initiatives and capital projects. Identify improvement opportunities and communicate the business case to site leadership.
• Manage the planning and execution of improvements by applying project management practices assuring alignment with the approved scope, considering at a minimum: resource allocation, budget planning and monitoring, scheduling and adherence tracking, cost/benefit, and communication/escalation. Review, propose and optimize standard procedures, and continuously improve the overall documentation set within the automation department. Serve as a conduit for new technology and the latest in industry trends by working with strategic partners and staying current on new developments in the field of automation.
• Build and maintain good working relationships with external partners (e.g. vendors) and manage contracted work for scope and budget. Understands and supports all GMPs, safety, and environmental regulations. Complete Safety and Quality records on time and in full and manage a team in a state of audit-readiness.
• Ensure systems are well positioned from aspects of data integrity, backup and archival, and cybersecurity, among others. Propose the department’s strategy, objectives, prioritization of tasks, and short and long terms roadmaps. Effectively translate strategy and site objectives, allowing that strategy to inform the allocation of resources, prioritization of team tasks, and messaging. Be held responsible for the delivery of strategy and site objectives as they pertain to site automation.
• Foster Curia’s values on team members, and identify areas of opportunity concerning the competency and capability composition of the team.

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

Manage resources for the projects under a matrixed approach. 

Education and/or Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in, Electrical or Computer Engineering (chemical, and mechanical will be considered with relevant experience), with a minimum of five (5) years of automation engineering experience, and at least two (2) years of experience in leadership positions in the bio/pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.

Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of experience in controls or automation engineering in a bio/pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. PLC experience (ie. Rockwell, Allen Bradley, Siemens, and Simatic). Detailed Knowledge of cGMP and regulatory requirements relating to process automation. Detailed knowledge of the 21 CFR Part 11 and Annex 11 requirements for automated systems. Able to read and understand the point-to-point control schematics and sequence of operations. Troubleshoot and resolve complex control system issues in an emergency and corrective maintenance capacity within a production environment and upgrading existing equipment.

Language Skills: 

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write clearly. Ability to speak effectively.

Mathematical Skills: 

Ability to apply basic math concepts.

Reasoning Ability: 

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.

Computer Skills: 

Knowledge of Internet software; Manufacturing software; Spreadsheet software, PowerPoint software, and Word Processing software.

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Leads with Integrity and Respect
• Delivers Results
• Demonstrates Business Acumen
• Fosters Collaboration and Teamwork
• Champions Change
• Engages and Inspires
• Coaches and Develops

Other Qualifications:

Must pass a background check

Must pass a drug screen

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and use their hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock; explosives; risk of radiation, and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

All interested applicants must apply online. Please be aware of scammers. Curia will only send offer letters and requests for sensitive personal information from a curiaglobal.com email address. CURIA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.