BMS/EMS/Utilities Automation Engineer

Novartis touches the lives of a tenth of the world’s population. Every role here, regardless of contract type, makes an impact on human life. In this position, you will take ownership of critical building management and environmental monitoring systems within a new manufacturing facility, helping shape how advanced automation supports quality, compliance, and operational excellence.

About the role

At Novartis, automation is more than technology — it is how we ensure safe, reliable medicines reach patients. You will work at the intersection of innovation and impact, partnering with engineering, quality, and manufacturing teams to design, maintain, and continuously improve systems that enable a compliant and efficient production environment. This role offers meaningful responsibility and long-term growth in a highly regulated setting.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain building management and environmental monitoring systems supporting a new manufacturing facility
• Design, configure, install, and maintain automation software and associated hardware across GMP and non-GMP systems
• Lead integration of third-party equipment into plant automation and distributed control systems
• Prepare scopes of work and manage automation contractors to meet project timelines and quality expectations
• Develop project objectives aligned with user requirements, business plans, and operational priorities
• Author and maintain system documentation, including user requirements and functional specifications
• Ensure automation systems meet GMP, regulatory, and internal compliance requirements
• Partner with Quality to support a compliant, inspection-ready manufacturing environment
• Troubleshoot and resolve automation-related issues impacting operations and production performance
• Execute change controls and support investigations related to automation system non-conformances

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline
• Minimum five years of experience supporting GMP automation systems in pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical manufacturing environments
• Hands-on experience with Distributed Control Systems, including Emerson DeltaV
• Experience with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and Human Machine Interface platforms, including Copadata Zenon and Rockwell FactoryTalk
• Practical expertise with Programmable Logic Controllers and building systems, including Emerson PACSystems and Allen Bradley CompactLogix and ControlLogix
• Working knowledge of data historians and manufacturing data systems, including OSIsoft PI, and basic Structured Query Language query development
• Demonstrated understanding of system validation, change control, and regulated automated manufacturing environments
• Strong communication and collaboration skills when working across engineering, quality, and operations teams

Location

Durham, NC (100% Onsite)

Pay

Salary range is $112,800 to $141,000 (W-2 only, based on education and experience).

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package offered via Novartis
• Flexible relocation packages