Staff Engineer, Automation & Controls

Job Summary

The Staff Engineer – Automation and Controls is a senior technical leader and highly experienced individual contributor responsible for leading and executing complex technical projects independently or as part of a team.

This position involves providing advanced technical expertise and leadership across multiple significant projects or a major functional area within Process Controls, Automated Systems, and Operational Technology (OT).

The Staff Engineer drives the technical direction and execution of the Automated System Lifecycle definition, design, development, integration, and validation for new or modified manufacturing processes from concept through commercialization, ensuring smooth product launch and transfer into the manufacturing Value Streams.

In addition to the above, the Staff Engineer – Automation and Controls Engineering position provides significant technical leadership to new product and process development activities with an emphasis on technical excellence and solutions implementation for highly complex product/process design, development, and production issues.

The Staff Engineer – Automation and Controls Engineering is expected to solve highly complex, ambiguous technical problems and development issues requiring resolution.

This role also leads continuous improvement efforts and coaches less experienced engineers, fostering their technical growth and preparing them to meet evolving business needs.

The Staff Engineer will oversee the technical direction and execution of project teams with overall responsibilities for complex technical deliverables.
 

Job Details/Responsibilities

1.

   Technical Leadership:
a.

   Lead the technical execution and successful delivery of complex automation and process controls projects involving PLCs, HMI, vision systems, SCADA, robotics, and data systems in compliance with TMC Quality System requirements and regulatory standards.
b.

   Provide domain-specific technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to engineers and project teams, elevating the technical capabilities of the team.
c.

   Drive technical direction, insight, and mentorship to project technical leaders and engineers on solving complex product/process design, development, and production issues within their domain of expertise.
d.

    Drive integration of Industry 4.0 concepts (data management strategy, data historian, TSDB, IoT, MES interfaces) into existing and new process control architectures, influencing technical standards and approaches.
e.

   Develop and promote engineering best practices and standards within the automation and controls function.
2.

   Automation Solutions:
a.

   Lead the design, development, programming, testing, and implementation of advanced automation systems for new and modified production processes.


b.

   Act as a Subject Matter Expert within defined technology areas for Process Controls, Automated Systems, and OT in new product introduction processes, providing key technical input and decision-making.


c.

   Contribute to the development and refinement of technical strategies and process control standards, influencing future technical direction based on expertise.


d.

   Define, maintain, and ensure adherence to Automated System Lifecycle documentation, including requirements, design specifications, commissioning, and validation protocols, ensuring the integration of innovative technologies where appropriate.


e.

   Ensure the technical integrity, robustness, and successful delivery of automation and process controls solutions from design through validation and transfer into manufacturing for new or modified production processes.


f.

   Identify opportunities for and develop reusable technical components, frameworks, or tools to improve efficiency and consistency across projects.
 

Job Responsibilities (continued)

3.

   Process Improvement:
a.

   Responsible for developing and maintaining Process Controls and Automation design standards, scalable frameworks, and tools aligned with departmental and organizational standards.
b.

   Drive broad process improvement initiatives within the automation function and across relevant value streams to enhance team efficiency, reduce costs, improve product quality, and functionality.
4.

   Project Planning and Execution:
a.

   Lead technical project execution, including technical planning, design reviews, testing strategies, system integration, and technical risk assessment.


b.

   Support overall project planning activities, contributing technical input on budgeting, scheduling, and risk assessment, and tracking of key technical milestones to ensure successful project completion.
c.

   Lead technical reviews, such as design reviews, code reviews, and post-mortems for complex issues.
d.

   Ensure on-time, in-scope, and within-budget technical delivery of assigned automation initiatives.
5.

   Cross-Functional Collaboration:
a.

   Foster effective working relationships with senior engineers and leaders in Project Management Office (PMO), Product Development, Operations Engineering, Quality, and Manufacturing.
b.

   Represent the automation and controls function in technical discussions with other departments and stakeholders, building consensus on technical approaches.
c.

   Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including engineers, quality assurance, and production staff, to ensure seamless technical integration and successful implementation of automation solutions
6.

   Perform other job-related duties when assigned.
 

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements

This position will be located in the Terumo facility located in Elkton, MD.

The position will perform required duties in an office environment, the Product Development Laboratory and Process Pilot area, and within manufacturing areas.

Access to hospitals and hospitals operating rooms might be required to meet with clinicians and observe relevant clinical procedures associated with new product development activities.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA)

Technical Leadership:
a.

   Extensive experience and deep expertise in developing complex automated manufacturing processes for medical devices or other highly regulated industries
b.

   Mastery of relevant industry standards and systems, including electrical codes, PLCs, HMI, SCADA, DCS, industrial robots, motion control systems, sensors, actuators, vision systems, data historians, MES, IoT, Industry 4.0 concepts, cybersecurity, and data integrity principles for OT systems.
2.

   Communication Skills:
a.

   Strong ability to learn new technologies quickly and explain highly complex engineering problems and solutions clearly to technical and non-technical personnel.
b.

   Proficiency in creating and delivering compelling technical presentations to various levels of personnel, including executive management, and preparing detailed technical reports for internal and potentially external/regulatory bodies.
c.

   Proven ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and mentor junior engineers effectively, fostering their technical development.

Ability to build consensus and drive technical alignment among diverse stakeholders.
3.

   Problem-Solving Skills:
a.

   Expert-level troubleshooting, diagnostic, and problem-solving skills for highly complex and ambiguous equipment and system issues.

Ability to identify root causes and implement effective, sustainable solutions.
b.

   Effective use of MS Office Suite and proficiency in relevant CAD software for electrical and mechanical design documentation.
 

Qualifications/ Background Experiences

1.

   Education: BS in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field, or equivalent experience.
2.

   Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in process control system design, automation, and integration within regulated industries (preferably medical device or pharmaceuticals), demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility and technical leadership.


3.

   Certifications: Certified Automation Professional (CAP) and Lean & Six Sigma Black Belt (SSBB) are desirable.
 

Compensation / Benefits

We provide competitive and comprehensive benefit options that allow you to design your own plan based on your individual needs which include: paid vacation, paid holidays, health, dental and vision benefits, 401(k), with matching contributions, tax advantage savings accounts, legal plan, voluntary life and AD&D insurance, voluntary long-term disability, short term disability, critical illness and accident insurance, parental leave, personal leave, tuition reimbursement, travel assistance, and an employee assistance program.

$122,000 - $167,700