Senior Automation & Digital Plant Engineer

Kunsh Technologies

Indianapolis, IN

Pay: $79-$81/hr

Shift: Contract

**Senior Automation & Digital Plant Engineer**

**Industry:** Pharmaceutical / Biopharmaceutical

**Work Arrangement:** Hybrid – Remote within the USA

**Location:** Anywhere in the United States (Travel to Indiana Required)

**Travel Requirements:** 2 weeks per month during the first 6 months, followed by 1 week per month for the remainder of the project.

**Position Overview**

We are seeking an experienced **Lab Scale Digital Plant Engineer** to support a major pharmaceutical automation project. This is an excellent opportunity for an engineering professional with a strong background in **Pharmaceutical Automation, Operational Technology (OT), Digital Plant Solutions, and Process Control Systems**.

In this role, you will work closely with Automation Project Teams, Process Engineering, Technical Operations, and other key stakeholders to ensure digital solutions align with manufacturing processes, facility design, and pharmaceutical regulatory requirements.

You will play an important role in connecting laboratory-scale equipment, automation systems, and digital infrastructure to establish reliable data flows and support manufacturing and process-related decisions.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with **DeltaV Batch DCS, laboratory system connectivity, chromatography software, and pharmaceutical manufacturing automation projects.**

Key Responsibilities

• **Digital Plant Strategy:** Contribute to the development and implementation of Digital Plant strategies and project-specific digital use cases.
• **Automation & Digital Integration:** Bridge business requirements, technology solutions, automation systems, and data architecture.
• **Data Architecture & Flow Mapping:** Lead data flow mapping activities and contribute to the overall project data architecture.
• **Historian & Data Infrastructure:** Support the implementation and delivery of site-level data infrastructure, including **AVEVA PI and Logmate**.
• **Process Control & Automation:** Contribute to the overall automation philosophy and ensure digital solutions support manufacturing and operational requirements.
• **Laboratory Systems Integration:** Support the integration of laboratory-scale equipment and systems into the broader plant data architecture.
• **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Work closely with Automation, Process Engineering, Process Technical Transfer, Program Technical Office (PTO), and end users.
• **Technical Consultation:** Provide technical guidance and automation support throughout project execution.
• **Project Communication:** Communicate project progress, technical challenges, resource requirements, and deliverables to the Automation Project Manager.
• **Regulatory Compliance:** Ensure project activities align with applicable GMP, regulatory, data integrity, and training requirements.

Required Qualifications & Technical Skills

Candidates should possess experience in the following areas:

**Education & Industry Experience**

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• 7+ years of experience in the **pharmaceutical industry**, particularly API or bulk drug manufacturing.
• Experience delivering large-scale pharmaceutical automation projects.

**Automation & Process Control**

• Strong background in Industrial Automation and Operational Technology (OT).
• Hands-on experience with **Distributed Control Systems (DCS)** and batch manufacturing environments.
• Experience with **Emerson DeltaV Batch DCS**.
• Understanding of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes and process control requirements.

**Digital Plant & Data Integration**

• Experience with Digital Plant solutions and digital transformation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of data architecture and data flow mapping.
• Experience integrating laboratory systems and benchtop equipment into digital infrastructure.
• Familiarity with process historians and data infrastructure.

**Laboratory Systems & Software**

• Experience with laboratory system connectivity and integration.
• Experience with benchtop chromatography software, particularly **UNICORN**.

**Pharmaceutical Compliance & Validation**

• Strong understanding of GMP requirements, regulatory standards, data integrity, and Computer System Validation (CSV) principles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with **AVEVA PI System / PI Historian**.
• Experience with Logmate or similar industrial data infrastructure platforms.
• Experience working across Process Engineering, Manufacturing Operations, IT/OT, and Automation teams.

Professional Competencies

• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to translate manufacturing and operational requirements into practical digital and automation solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.