Sr. Manager, Automation

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc

Greenville, NC

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Asepsis, Asset Management, Automation, Automation Systems, Biotech and Pharmaceutical, Business Development, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX), Capital Project, Code of Federal Regulations, Commissioning, Continuous Improvement, Control Engineering, Control Systems, Cross-Functional, Customer Relations, Data Quality, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Drug Development, Drug Manufacturing, Electricity, Engineering Management, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), Human Machine Interface (HMI), Identify Issues, Information Technology & Information Systems, Internet Security, Leadership, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Automation, Manufacturing Operations, Mentoring, Operational Support, Problem Solving Skills, Process Engineering, Process Validation, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Reliability Engineering, Requirements Management, Risk Analysis, Risk Management, Root Cause Analysis, Startup, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), System Lifecycle, System Migration, Systems Administration/Management, Systems Analysis, Systems Reliability, Talent Management, Team Lead/Manager, Team Player, Technical Strategy, Technical Support, Technical/Engineering Design
LOCATION
Greenville, NC
POSTED
30+ days ago

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

Job Description

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you'll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond.

About the Business

Join our Pharma Services Group (PSG)-a global leader providing integrated drug development and manufacturing solutions to pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Our Greenville, North Carolina site specializes in sterile and oral solid dose (OSD) manufacturing, supported by advanced technologies and a highly collaborative team environment.

Discover Impactful Work

As the Sr. Manager, Automation, you will lead a team of automation and controls engineering leaders responsible for supporting manufacturing operations, capital projects, and digital/automation strategy across the site. This role is highly visible and part of the succession pipeline for future leadership, with a strong focus on automation systems lifecycle management, reliability, and obsolescence mitigation.

A Day in the Life

  • Lead and develop a team of ~5 automation/controls engineering managers
  • Serve as site SME for automation systems supporting sterile fill/finish (PLC, SCADA, DCS, HMI, historians, and integrations)
  • Own automation systems lifecycle management, including design, configuration, validation, maintenance, upgrades, and retirement
  • Lead site-wide automation obsolescence program, including risk assessments, asset lifecycle tracking, and upgrade planning
  • Oversee automation deliverables across lifecycle phases: URS, functional/design specs, FAT/SAT, installation, startup, and validation handoff
  • Drive troubleshooting of complex automation issues, root cause analysis, and system reliability improvements
  • Support CapEx projects, including new equipment integration, control system design, and platform standardization
  • Partner with business development on technical capabilities, automation strategies, and digital readiness for new programs
  • Collaborate with process engineering, validation, IT/OT, maintenance, quality, and operations to ensure compliant and reliable systems
  • Mentor and develop future leaders in automation and digital manufacturing

Keys to Success

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Automation, Electrical, or related discipline (highly preferred)

Advanced degree preferred

Experience

  • 10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing with strong focus on automation systems in sterile environments
  • 5+ years of leadership experience managing engineering teams, including people leaders
  • Proven experience managing automation systems lifecycle (URS, design specs, FAT/SAT, commissioning, validation)
  • Demonstrated experience leading automation obsolescence strategies
  • Strong experience with PLC/SCADA/DCS platforms in GMP environments
  • Experience supporting capital projects (CapEx) and system migrations
  • Exposure to business development technical support preferred

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

  • Deep expertise in automation systems supporting aseptic processing environments
  • Strong knowledge of GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, Annex 11, and data integrity principles (ALCOA+)
  • Experience with automation cybersecurity and IT/OT integration
  • Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis in control systems
  • Ability to balance strategic leadership with technical expertise
  • Strong cross-functional collaboration
  • Experience with lifecycle asset management and obsolescence risk mitigation

Competencies

Leadership, Technical Expertise, Automation Strategy, Lifecycle Management, Continuous Improvement, Talent Development, Customer Focus

About the Company

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Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With revenues of nearly $11 billion, we have approximately 37,000 employees and serve customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as in environmental and process control industries. We create value for our key stakeholders through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, which offer a unique combination of continuous technology development and the most convenient purchasing options. Our products and services help accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, and solve analytical challenges ranging from complex research to routine testing to field applications.

All of our employees share a common set of values - Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement. Our ability to grow year after year is driven by our ability to attract, develop and retain world-class people who will thrive in our environment and share in our desire to improve mankind by enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

If you share in our values and if you're looking for an employer who is strongly committed to developing talent and rewarding achievement, come grow with us at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.

COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
All
WEBSITE
https://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/home.html