Job Information
AbbVie Senior Automation Engineer in North Chicago, Illinois
Company Description
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Job Description
The Senior Automation Engineer provides automation support for manufacturing operations in accordance with appropriate GMP and safety guidelines. This support includes change control implementation, deviation investigation, routine automation computer system support activities, and off hours automation computer system support. The Senior Automation Engineer also leads non-routine automation computer system support activities, delivers engineering projects to the business, can utilize first principles in delivery of these solutions, and can recommend new control strategies for the various chemical processes utilized in manufacturing operations.
The Senior Automation Engineer performs engineering design and installation services for automated process equipment, facility systems and software systems. They perform troubleshooting and corrective maintenance on all facilities and production equipment. Primary responsibility is for maintaining automated electromechanical systems and software. This includes project support related to facility modifications, equipment installations, and maintenance activities. Typical project work involves developing specifications for equipment and systems and coordinating implementation activities to place the systems into service.
To be successful, the position will interface with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, suppliers, and 3rd party contractor firms. Candidates should feel comfortable working in a plant environment. Strong communication skills along with technical knowledge of process control systems are required to ensure that the needs of manufacturing are being met on a consistent basis.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Provide automation technical support to manufacturing operations for DeltaV, and Rockwell/Allen-Bradley control system platforms and connected OT process information systems (e.g., data historians, alarm analytics software).
Interpret and apply GMP documentation practices in a highly regulated environment with requirements such as 21 CFR Part 11, ASTM 2500, S88, and S95.
Lead Modernization efforts to upgrade or replace obsolete control systems.
Informally mentor less experienced engineers.
Provide a high level of data mining and analysis to identify improvements in the manufacturing process.
Design and implement automation related changes to manufacturing operations
Lead investigation of automation related deviations.
Support system support activities (e.g. system backups, performance monitoring, password maintenance, etc.)
Provide off-hours automation support to operations.
Perform all work in a manner consistent with company policies, procedures, and standards.
Maintain a safe work environment, working safely and accountable for supporting all EHS Corporate and Site goals.
Provide engineering solutions to the business.
Automation design and delivery of new process units.
Provides project management and technical leadership to projects.
Oversight of specialists and/or contractors assisting in the delivery of automation solutions.
Is responsible for ensuring that life-cycle plans are developed and executed for automation systems.
Provide recommendations on new control strategies/technologies.
Research and maintain familiarity with various control strategies/technologies.
Research and maintain familiarity with pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Hands on experience during project installation, startup and on-going support activities is important.
Work with all departments to support the manufacturing operations and to improve methods for automated data collection and reporting, and overall reliability and performance of equipment and systems. This includes existing systems and new installation projects. Keep an open line of communication across departments and managerial lines.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering, or closely related discipline, or equivalent technical experience plus demonstrated competence, with MINIMUM 5 years of significant engineering and / or operational experience.
Experience with maintained validation documentation.
Expertise in process control and Rockwell/Allen-Bradley PLC/HMI/SCADA programming and hardware.
Interacts well with diverse groups within engineering and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external collaborators.
Experience with greenfield or large control system modernization implementations.
Listens to and understands others’ points of view and articulates tactfully and respectfully one’s own perspective orally, in writing, and in presentations.
Works well with other engineers in a collaborative, fast-paced goal-driven environment.
Possesses interpersonal skills to negotiate and reconcile differences.
Good written and verbal communication skills to interact with internal and external personnel providing timely information to avoid production delays. This includes timely, accurate, and neat completion of documentation, such as work orders and reports that meet GMP requirements.
Preferred:
Technical background in Pharmaceutical or similar GMP-regulated industry.
Experience with plant wide Rockwell/Allen-Bradley PLC and Emerson DeltaV implementations.
Experience with Intellution iFIX SCADA systems.
Experience with Siemens PLCs and HMIs.
Experience with industrial networks and communication protocols (e.g., Modbus TCP/IP, OPC UA)
Understanding of network infrastructure/architecture of networks and segregation between IT and OT networks.
Experience with MS server administration and Active Directory.
Familiarity with VMWare or HyperV virtualization platforms.
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion. It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.