Maintenance Engineer Automation

job summary:

Job Summary:

The Maintenance Engineer Automation is responsible for supporting, maintaining, and continuously improving automated control systems that enable reliable, safe, and compliant pharmaceutical manufacturing operations. This role ensures the proper performance of automation components, including PLC-based control systems, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs), sensors, instrumentation, automated equipment, and building management systems (BMS/EMS).

The Maintenance Engineer Automation leads troubleshooting of automation and controls issues, supports system upgrades and automation?related projects, and participates in system lifecycle activities, including configuration management, change control, and validation support. All automation activities are performed in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), Good Documentation Practices (GDP), FDA regulatory requirements, internal SOPs, and data integrity standards.

This role works cross?functionally with Maintenance, Production, Quality Assurance, Compliance, Engineering, Validations, and Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) to ensure automation systems support operational continuity, maintain validated states where applicable, and remain inspection?ready in a regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.

location: Bartow, Florida
job type: Permanent
salary: $90,000 - 95,000 per year
work hours: 9 to 5
education: Bachelors

responsibilities:

Duties & Responsibilities

Automation System Support & Engineering Initiatives

• Lead plant improvement initiatives, facility-utility system upgrades, and the introduction of new technologies, including automation platforms, robotics, advanced control systems, and smart maintenance tools, within a regulated pharmaceutical environment.
• Develop and manage project scopes, timelines, risk assessments, and technical documentation, ensuring alignment with approved procedures and change management requirements.
• Coordinate and oversee contractors, vendors, and internal project resources to ensure activities are executed safely, compliantly, on schedule, and within approved budgets.
• Provide hands-on technical support and troubleshooting for automated equipment, PLCs, HMIs, robotics, motion control systems, sensors, VFDs, control panels, and associated control infrastructure.
• Diagnose and resolve root causes of automation, controls, and electrical system failures to ensure timely restoration of equipment and system functionality.
• Resolve issues affecting data acquisition, alarm management, communication networks, system interfaces, and control logic, ensuring accurate and reliable system performance.
• Support automation systems responsible for environmental monitoring, alarms, cleanroom controls, and critical manufacturing operations.

Operational Support

• Provide escalation support to Maintenance Technicians during equipment failures to minimize downtime and maintain manufacturing continuity.
• Collaborate with Production leadership on equipment changeovers, setups, and integration of new or modified equipment.
• Accurately document all work activities in the electronic maintenance or engineering systems in accordance with Good Documentation Practices (GDP) (legible, contemporaneous, original, accurate, and traceable).
• Partner with Production, Quality, Validations, EHS, Engineering, and Maintenance teams to investigate and resolve recurring equipment, automation, utility, or facility issues.

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure all automation, controls, and engineering activities comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), internal quality systems, approved SOPs, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Follow Good Documentation Practices (GDP) for all engineering changes, system configurations, maintenance records, and validation documentation.
• Adhere to Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) requirements, including lockout/tagout procedures, electrical safety standards, and permit systems.
• Participate in root-cause investigations, support corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), and provide technical support during audits and regulatory inspections.

Controls Engineering & Continuous Improvement

• Implement automation and control system changes under approved change control processes, including PLC logic updates, HMI improvements, alarm optimization, and system configuration changes.
• Support the design and implementation of automation solutions that improve equipment reliability, reduce manual intervention, enhance data integrity, and strengthen process control.
• Evaluate control system performance and recommend enhancements that support continuous improvement, operational excellence, and inspection readiness.
• Provide technical guidance, mentoring, and training to Maintenance Technician Level I and Level II personnel related to automation and control systems.
• Train Production Operators on new or updated automation solutions and support onboarding and technical training related to automated equipment and systems.

Role Primary Focus:

• Owns automation, control systems, instrumentation and digital infrastructure that govern how processes run.
• Focuses on PLCs, HMIs, alarms, data flows, system logic, integration, and control strategy.
• Ensures automated systems maintain data integrity, validated state, and regulatory compliance.

Automation & Controls Engineer Owns & Operational Support:

• PLC programs and logic
• HMI design and navigation
• Alarm philosophy and alarm management
• Control networks and communication protocols
• Integration between equipment, utilities, BMS, SCADA, and MES (where applicable)
• Automated data collection and system interfaces
• Environmental monitoring and cleanroom control automation
• Ensures changes do not compromise Part 11, audit trails, or data integrity.
• Leads root-cause analysis involving controls logic, sequencing, or automation architecture.
• Supports operators and maintenance in understanding control behavior.
• Electronic records generated by automation.

qualifications:

Required Education:

Bachelor degree in engineering or computer sciences, or relevant technical certification (Electrical, Mechanical, Computer, etc.)

Required Experience:

• A minimum of 5+ years of experience as an automation and controls engineer in the Pharmaceutical/Medical device manufacturing environment.
• 10+ years of experience an automation engineer position in Pharmaceutical/Medical device manufacturing environment or relevant industry such as chemistry, pharmacy, or pharmaceutical sciences.
• Prior experience with FFS equipment of work in regulated FDA environment.
• Experience with cleanrooms or aseptic operations.

#LI-JW1

skills: Aseptic Processing


Equal Opportunity Employer: Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Genetic Information, Disability, Protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected group status.

At Randstad, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact [email protected].


Pay offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Randstad offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, and life insurance offerings, short-term disability, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).


This posting is open for thirty (30) days.