Senior Automation Engineer

Use Your Power for Purpose

At Pfizer, we believe that every role is crucial in our mission to improve patients' lives. Within our Global Supply division, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that our manufacturing processes are efficient, reliable, and innovative. Whether you are involved in the design and development of manufacturing processes for products or supporting maintenance and reliability, engineering is vital to making sure customers and patients have the medicines they need when they need them. Working with our innovative engineering team, you'll help bring medicines to the world even faster by imagining what’s possible and taking action. Your contributions will directly impact our ability to deliver life-saving medicines to patients around the globe.

What You Will Achieve

In this role, you will:

• Provide a lead engineering role for automation upgrade capital projects involving automation systems.

• Provide engineering support for the delivery of new automation and software technologies; define minimum standards for computer systems and control system hardware and software components within the business unit.

• Perform detailed reliability analyses for all critical automation systems used in production manufacturing and their associated infrastructure systems.

• Provide technical engineering direction and support for the maintenance, installation, startup/commissioning, testing, and qualification of automation systems for process equipment, process‑related systems, and infrastructure equipment within a biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

• Provide detailed engineering support for change controls and limited‑scope functional upgrades to existing systems.

• Troubleshoot multiple automation platforms, with a primary focus on Allen‑Bradley PLCs and GE iFIX SCADA systems.

• Support automation design for cell culture, harvest, and purification process equipment, including development of User Requirement Specifications (URS), Functional Requirement Specifications (FRS), and Configuration Specifications (CS).

• Develop and execute commissioning plans, as well as validation and qualification documentation.

• Write and review change controls, and review and approve specifications, drawings, and other project‑related documentation.

• Support project activities, including estimating project budgets and developing specifications for new equipment.

• Provide instrumentation support, including I/O troubleshooting, signal verification, loop checks, and control panel design and review.

• Support maintenance activities, attend required meetings, and maintain specified training requirements.

• Design and implement automation systems in compliance with ALCOA data integrity principles (Attributable, Legible, Contemporaneous, Original, and Accurate).

• Support equipment maintenance history reviews, investigations, and audits as required.

Here Is What You Need (Minimum Requirements)

• Bachelor's degree in chemical, mechanical, electrical engineering, or a relevant scientific discipline with at least 4 years of experience; OR a master's degree with at least 2 years of experience; OR
  a PhD with 0+ years of experience; OR as associate's degree with 8 years of experience; OR a high school diploma (or equivalent) and 10 years of relevant experience.

• Minimum of 4 years of automation experience with a BS, or 3 years with an MS, including automation of pharmaceutical process systems and execution of design, commissioning, and troubleshooting activities.

• Working knowledge of cGMP systems and practices.

• Ability to work across functional areas, including operations, maintenance, validation, and project management.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Experience working with both production equipment and utility automation systems.

• Experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs and HMIs as well as GE iFix SCADA.

Bonus Points If You Have (Preferred Requirements):

• Experience leading automation projects.

• Experience with Emerson DeltaV and OSI PI products.

• Familiarity with relational databases such as SQL or Oracle.

• Familiarity with automation networks, including Ethernet, DH+, ControlNet, and similar technologies.

• Familiarity with network infrastructure and cybersecurity principles.

• Relevant pharmaceutical experience.

• Demonstrated cross‑functional leadership competencies, including diligence, strategic development, conflict resolution, analytical thinking, communication, and business/organizational awareness, along with strong project planning skills.

Other Job Details:

• Work Location Assignment: Must be able to work from assigned Pfizer office 2-3 days per week, or as needed by the business

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $99,200.00 to $165,400.00. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 12.5% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program. We offer comprehensive and generous benefits and programs to help our colleagues lead healthy lives and to support each of life’s moments. Benefits offered include a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage. Learn more at Pfizer Candidate Site – U.S. Benefits | (uscandidates.mypfizerbenefits.com). Pfizer compensation structures and benefit packages are aligned based on the location of hire. The United States salary range provided does not apply to Tampa, FL or any location outside of the United States.

Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

Candidates must be authorized to be employed in the U.S. by any employer.

U.S. work visa sponsorship (such as TN, O-1, H-1B, etc.) is not available for this role now or in the future.

To learn more about acceptable and prohibited uses of AI during the recruitment process, please review our candidate AI-use guidelines available on Pfizer Careers.

Engineering