Are you looking for an opportunity to lead a dynamic team and drive innovation in automation? If so, this is the role for you.

As Automation Group Lead you will be responsible to provide leadership and advanced expertise in automation for the Zebulon Site, ensuring the successful execution of the Site Automation Strategy. The Group-Lead will oversee a small team of engineers and external contractors, ensuring the delivery of compliant and robust instrumentation, automation, and control systems for pharmaceutical equipment and facilities. This role will bridge the responsibilities between management of team members and execution of projects, offering both strategic direction and hands-on expertise.

This role will provide YOU the opportunity to lead key activities to progress YOUR career.  These responsibilities include some of the following:

• Supervise and develop a sub-team of automation engineers by measuring performance, providing feedback, fostering employee development, and maximizing throughput, ensuring individual and team success.

• Take responsibility for the sub-team’s overall performance, ensuring delivery of value stream objectives, compliance, and optimal implementation of automation solutions that meet business requirements.

• Interface with key site functions (Engineering, IT, Production, MSAT, Quality) to define project scopes and deliver robust, high-value automation systems that meet functionality, cost, quality, and timeline requirements.

• Develop and implement automation strategies aligned with site and global expectations, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g., cGMPs, GAMP).

• Lead the design, implementation, and validation of instrumentation, automation, and control systems for pharmaceutical equipment and facilities, allocating 60% of time to project work and support.

• Act as the primary point of contact for customers and stakeholders, ensuring availability and alignment of team messaging, priorities, and expectations while collaborating with other sub-team leaders to optimize resource allocation and cross-team efforts.

• Analyze outcomes of Deviations, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) to ensure feasible solutions and provide SME input for Engineering Change Controls and regulatory inspections.

• Collaborate with Equipment Engineering to assess obsolescence and feed into the Facility Investment Plan (FIP), identifying improvements and vetting proposed solutions.

• Maintain strong communication with the Automation Manager through clear, transparent, and timely updates, escalating issues appropriately and cascading team standards, strategies, and ways of working to the sub-team.

• Foster close collaboration with streams, attend Communities of Practice (CoP) and Risk Management Control Board (RMCB) meetings, and actively engage in identifying improvements and driving team alignment with site strategy.

Why you?

Basic Qualifications:

We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Life Sciences, or a related technical discipline.

• 5+ years of relevant technical experience in automation and control systems, preferably in the pharmaceutical industry.

• Experience in designing, programming, starting up, and troubleshooting control systems and instrumentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

If you have the following characteristics, it would be a plus:

• Proven ability to diagnose and resolve complex problems, prioritize issues, and implement solutions effectively.

• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and motivate a diverse technical team.

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering Management, or a related field.

• Experience leading technical teams, managing direct reports, and driving project success.

• Familiarity with GMP environments, computer system validation (GAMP methodology), and FDA regulatory standards (e.g., 21 CFR Part 11).

• Expertise in automation platforms such as SCADA (FactoryTalk, iFix, Wonderware), PLC programming (Rockwell, Siemens), MES (AspenTech), and network/server troubleshooting.

• Proficiency in ISA standards, P&ID nomenclature, instrumentation diagrams, HMI, and communication networks.

• Strong understanding of software testing (FAT/SAT), commissioning procedures, and pharmaceutical secondary processing.

• Knowledge of IT architecture management, data warehousing, and EHS practices rela