Automation Controls Engineer III , Albuquerque, NM
Build your future at Curia, where our work has the power to save lives.
Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers’ therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients’ lives.
We proudly offer
- Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment)
- Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)
- Career advancement opportunities
- Education reimbursement
- 401K program with matching contributions
- Learning platform
- And more!
Summary:
The Automation Controls Engineer III serves as a senior technical resource, leading the maintenance, optimization, and strategic enhancement of control and data acquisition systems for manufacturing, packaging, and support equipment at the site. This includes Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), and Human Machine Interface (HMI) devices. In addition to providing expert technical review and counsel, this role drives complex troubleshooting efforts, mentors junior engineers, and leads initiatives to improve efficiency, reliability, and lifecycle management. The Engineer III also evaluates and implements advanced automation technologies, ensuring alignment with site objectives, industry best practices, and long-term business goals.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Serve as a senior technical resource for the maintenance, optimization, and strategic enhancement of automation and data acquisition systems, including SCADA, PLC, and HMI devices, across manufacturing, packaging, and support operations.
- Define, prioritize, and achieve complex technical goals and objectives; lead cross-functional collaboration with internal teams, external contractors, and technology vendors to ensure timely and effective project execution.
- Schedule, oversee, and evaluate the work of external trade and technology partners for automation-related equipment, facilities, and utilities, ensuring adherence to quality, safety, and GMP standards.
- Lead investigations into quality deviations related to automated equipment, driving root cause analysis, corrective actions, and long-term reliability improvements.
- Initiate, draft, and lead change requests and engineering documentation for automated systems, including SOPs, PMs, and technical manuals, ensuring compliance with site and regulatory requirements.
- Provide advanced programming and integration support for building monitoring systems, HMI displays, and other automation platforms; maintain up-to-date engineering drawings, system documentation, and software licenses.
- Identify, propose, and implement cost-effective automation upgrades and modifications to existing or new production equipment, ensuring strategic alignment with site automation goals and business objectives.
- Lead complex projects with minimal oversight, balancing quality, validation, production, and regulatory considerations in all decision-making.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers and technicians, fostering skill development and knowledge sharing.
- Support Validation and Computer Systems Validation activities to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory expectations.
- Continuously evaluate and recommend emerging automation technologies to improve efficiency, reliability, and lifecycle management of systems.
- Read/interpret SOPs to ensure compliance
- Maintain up to date trainings
- Other duties as assigned
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor's Degree in Electrical or related engineering
- Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in automation integration
- PLC and HMI experience (i.e., Rockwell, Allen Bradley, Siemens, and Simatic)
Supervisory Responsibilities:
This role does not have supervisory responsibilities, yet it may involve mentoring, guiding, and advising.
Language Skills: The ideal candidate should have the ability to read and interpret various documents, such as safety instructions, standard operating procedures, technical procedures, and governmental regulations. Additionally, they should possess strong written and verbal communication skills, along with effective presentation skills.
Mathematical Skills: Proficient in executing arithmetic operations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division across various units of measurement, employing whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages. Candidates must possess a strong grasp of algebraic and geometric principles.
Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Computer Skills: The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical foundation and proven capability in effectively utilizing diverse software tools to streamline the organization's daily functions. Essential skills encompass adeptness in manufacturing and internet software, alongside proficiency in Microsoft Office tools including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook.
Other Skills and Abilities:
- Provides guidance and mentorship to team members
- Fosters a collaborative and positive work environment
- Champions change
- Promotes a safe and healthy work environment by actively identifying and addressing potential hazards, following established safety protocols, participating in safety training programs, and fostering a culture of awareness and responsibility among team members.
- Demonstrates strong attention to detail
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly and effectively.
- Strong organizational skills, capable of managing multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficient in reading, interpreting, and applying technical documentation, specifications, and work instructions.
- Effective interpersonal skills with the adaptability to collaborate across diverse teams and achieve organizational objectives.
- Demonstrated ability to present ideas and information in a clear, logical, and grammatically accurate manner.
- Preferred experience in the design and implementation of building management systems and cleanroom aseptic facilities.
- In-depth knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements and standards, including OSHA, EPA, FDA, JP, EU, and other relevant agencies.
- Able to read and understand the point-to-point control schematics and sequence of operations
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex control system issues in an emergency and corrective maintenance capacity within a production environment and upgrading existing equipment with strong technical writing and analytical communication skills.
Other Qualifications:
- Must pass a background check
- Must pass a drug screen
- May be required to pass Occupational Health Screening
- May be required to obtain and maintain gowning certification
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The essential physical demands will vary for each Curia position.
All positions may require regular or occasional lifting, pushing and pulling up to 10 pounds, frequently; up to 25 pounds occasionally; and up to 50 pounds infrequently. Additionally, all positions entail regular sitting, standing and reaching, with some roles requiring prolonged periods of time for each activity. Visual acuity, both close and distant, along with depth perception is necessary in each role, with or without corrective lenses. Please note that employees are prohibited from wearing contact lenses in work areas with exposure to cleaning agents. Hand and finger dexterity are integral to all positions, with specific activities varying from typing to manipulating maintenance tools or operating keypads, switches, and buttons. Occasional stooping, kneeling, twisting, crouching, crawling and balancing are also part of each position’s physical requirements. Certain roles may involve climbing and working at elevated heights as well.
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics, described below, are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The working environments will vary for each Curia position. The employee may be required to work in an office, manufacturing, or warehouse environment.
The office environment is designed for comfort and productivity, with room temperature settings maintained for optimal working conditions. It is common to hear conversational noise in the background.
The pharmaceutical manufacturing environment is sterile. Therefore, aseptic gowning is required. Personal protective equipment (nitrile gloves, clean room socks, face-shields, safety glasses, aprons, steel-toed shoes and powered air purifying respirators) is necessary, depending upon the task at hand. The employee may be exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, confined areas, and refrigerator or freezer temperatures when working in a sterile environment.
The warehouse environment is typically set at a controlled temperature but the employee may be exposed to refrigerator or freezer temperatures when retrieving materials.
Some positions may occasionally be exposed to moving mechanical parts, elevated heights, airborne particles, electrical activities and vibration. In addition, some positions may work with or be exposed to, compressed gases and must wear ear protection.
All environments may be subject to working with or being exposed to cleaning agents.
Education, experience, location and tenure may be considered along with internal equity when job offers are extended.
We do not accept unsolicited assistance from any headhunters or recruitment firms for any of our job openings. All resumes or profiles submitted by search firms to any employee at Curia, in any form without a valid, signed search agreement by an authorized signatory in place for the specific position, approved by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Curia. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Curia because of the unsolicited referral.
All interested applicants must apply online. Please be aware of scammers. Curia will only send offer letters and requests for sensitive personal information from a curiaglobal.com email address. Curia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Curia is an E-Verify employer.