What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Automation Engineer position at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals?
Overview
This role provides senior‑level automation engineering leadership and daily support for Manufacturing, Utilities, and Building Automation systems at Alnylam’s Cambridge, MA facilities. As a system owner, you will guide the design, build, commissioning, and lifecycle management of both GMP and non‑GMP control systems, ensuring reliable, compliant, and high‑quality operation. Success in this role requires strong collaboration with Process Sciences, Manufacturing, Quality, Process Engineering, Facilities, Validation, and other key stakeholders to deliver robust automation solutions and resolve complex technical challenges. The position also supports cross‑site initiatives and may provide expertise to additional Alnylam locations, including Norton and Alewife.
This is an onsite role based primarily at the Cambridge, MA facilities.
Key Responsibilities
$129,000.00 - $174,600.00
The pay range reflects the full-time base salary range we expect to pay for this role at the time of posting. Base pay will be determined based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, and education. This role is eligible for an annual short-term incentive award (e.g., bonus or sales incentive) and an annual long-term incentive award (e.g., equity).
Alnylam’s robust Total Rewards package is designed to support your overall health and well-being. We offer comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, a lifestyle reimbursement program, flexible spending and health savings accounts and a 401(k)with a generous company match. Eligible employees enjoy paid time off, wellness days, holidays, and two company-wide recharge breaks. We also offer generous family resources and leave. Our commitment to your well-being reflects our belief that caring for our people fuels the impact we create together.
Learn more about these and additional benefits offered by Alnylam by visiting the Benefits section of the Careers website: https://www.alnylam.com/careers
About Alnylam
We are the leader in RNAi therapeutics – a revolutionary approach with the potential to transform the lives of people with rare and common diseases. Built on Nobel Prize-winning science, Alnylam has delivered the breakthroughs that made RNAi therapeutics possible and are just at the beginning of what’s possible. Our deep pipeline, late-stage programs, and bold vision reflect our core values: fierce innovation, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, open culture and commitment to people. We're proud to be a globally recognized top employer, where an authentic, inclusive culture and breakthrough thinking fuel one another.
At Alnylam, we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equal employment opportunity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their sex, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, pregnancy status or related conditions, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital or familial status, political affiliation, age, or any other factor protected by federal, state, or local law. Alnylam is an E-Verify Employer.
This role provides senior‑level automation engineering leadership and daily support for Manufacturing, Utilities, and Building Automation systems at Alnylam’s Cambridge, MA facilities. As a system owner, you will guide the design, build, commissioning, and lifecycle management of both GMP and non‑GMP control systems, ensuring reliable, compliant, and high‑quality operation. Success in this role requires strong collaboration with Process Sciences, Manufacturing, Quality, Process Engineering, Facilities, Validation, and other key stakeholders to deliver robust automation solutions and resolve complex technical challenges. The position also supports cross‑site initiatives and may provide expertise to additional Alnylam locations, including Norton and Alewife.
This is an onsite role based primarily at the Cambridge, MA facilities.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide senior‑level automation engineering support across Process Sciences labs in Kendall Square and manufacturing sites in Norton and Alewife, ensuring consistent, high‑quality technical coverage across all locations.
- Lead automation projects—including expansions, upgrades, and system modifications—by serving as the technical lead throughout all lifecycle phases (design, delivery, startup, commissioning, validation, and operational support).
- Apply advanced automation engineering principles to design, integrate, and commission automation systems, including developing specifications, analyzing results, and resolving complex operational or system challenges.
- Develop and maintain company automation capabilities, including technical standards, guidelines, and procedures aligned with industry best practices and compliant design principles.
- Review and critique process and automation system designs, ensuring alignment with ASTM E2500 and other quality frameworks while promoting a culture of safe, compliant, and high‑integrity operation.
- Collaborate with manufacturing, process development, facilities, QA, and other stakeholders to define requirements, develop recommendations, and support successful system implementations, technology transfers, and equipment integrations.
- Lead engineering investigations and provide technical support for troubleshooting, optimization, and issue resolution across Manufacturing, Utilities/Facilities, and Process Sciences systems, including deviations, change controls, and CAPAs.
- Provide technical direction and oversight for automation service providers, integrators, contractors, and Instrument/Electrical technicians, ensuring safe, compliant maintenance and effective project execution
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field, with 6 years of relevant experience spanning design, build, testing, and operational support of PLC‑based automation systems.
- Demonstrated expertise with Rockwell Automation platforms (PlantPAx, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk View SE) across project execution, commissioning, and lifecycle management.
- Hands‑on experience with additional automation or building management platforms such as GE Unicorn, Delta Controls enteliWEB, Intellution iFix, or Siemens Apogee/Desigo CC (preferred but not required).
- Familiarity with virtualized infrastructure (Nutanix AHV, VMware) and an understanding of how virtual and physical automation systems integrate in a compliant manufacturing environment.
- Strong background in GMP manufacturing operations, including serving as a technical lead for automation system design, managing automation projects, and supporting 24×7 operational environments.
- Deep knowledge of industry standards and good engineering practices, including GMPs, GEP, ISA S88, GAMP, ASTM E2500, and ISPE guidance.
- Proven ability to translate user requirements into automation design solutions, supporting technology transfer, process scale‑up, and equipment integration.
- Ability to work across all Alnylam Massachusetts site locations and participate in a rotating 24×7 on‑call support schedule for automation systems.
$129,000.00 - $174,600.00
The pay range reflects the full-time base salary range we expect to pay for this role at the time of posting. Base pay will be determined based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, and education. This role is eligible for an annual short-term incentive award (e.g., bonus or sales incentive) and an annual long-term incentive award (e.g., equity).
Alnylam’s robust Total Rewards package is designed to support your overall health and well-being. We offer comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, a lifestyle reimbursement program, flexible spending and health savings accounts and a 401(k)with a generous company match. Eligible employees enjoy paid time off, wellness days, holidays, and two company-wide recharge breaks. We also offer generous family resources and leave. Our commitment to your well-being reflects our belief that caring for our people fuels the impact we create together.
Learn more about these and additional benefits offered by Alnylam by visiting the Benefits section of the Careers website: https://www.alnylam.com/careers
About Alnylam
We are the leader in RNAi therapeutics – a revolutionary approach with the potential to transform the lives of people with rare and common diseases. Built on Nobel Prize-winning science, Alnylam has delivered the breakthroughs that made RNAi therapeutics possible and are just at the beginning of what’s possible. Our deep pipeline, late-stage programs, and bold vision reflect our core values: fierce innovation, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, open culture and commitment to people. We're proud to be a globally recognized top employer, where an authentic, inclusive culture and breakthrough thinking fuel one another.
At Alnylam, we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equal employment opportunity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their sex, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, pregnancy status or related conditions, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital or familial status, political affiliation, age, or any other factor protected by federal, state, or local law. Alnylam is an E-Verify Employer.
Salary : $129,000 - $174,600