Engineer - Automation Engineering – Lilly Medicine Foundry

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve.

About the role

Lilly recently announced a $4.5 billion investment to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development. The first-ever facility of its kind, combining research and manufacturing in a single location, the Medicine Foundry will allow Lilly to further develop innovative solutions to optimize manufacturing processes and increase capacity for clinical trial medicines, while also reducing costs and environmental impact.

The Engineer - Automation Engineering will work as a member of the Automation Engineering Department at Eli Lilly, Foundry. The engineer will provide automation support for one or more operating areas across the site and/or for capital projects. Process Automation is core to delivering a right-first-time facility start-up and continued support of ongoing manufacturing operations. The Automation engineer will collaborate and partner with cross-functional peers to support successful delivery of robust control systems and instrumentation, business plan priorities, and compliance objectives.

In the project delivery phase and start-up phase of the project (start-up expected 2025 to 2028), automation engineering roles will be fluid and dynamic as we endeavor to support the project delivery, build a new organization, develop and implement the necessary systems and business processes required to support GMP operations, and build the site culture. This will require significant collaboration, creativity, and resilience as the site grows to full-scale GMP manufacturing through start-up.

Responsibilities

• Provide site operation runtime support, enhance control system reliability, and manage lifecycle in a GMP-regulated environment.
• Participate in design reviews and site control system reviews; attend and support Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs).
• Perform tuning and troubleshooting of control loops and Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs).
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of P&IDs, instrument loop drawings, and various process control communication protocols.
• Develop and review Functional Requirements, Design Specifications, and Test Specifications.
• Maintain the validated state of the site control system in line with Lilly quality standards, including the development and execution of validation strategies and associated documentation.
• Provide on-call support for operations as needed.
• Resolve complex technical challenges with control systems.
• Utilize Master maintenance plans.
• Work with DeltaV Distributed Control System and Batch Process Automation.
• Work with Rockwell Allen Bradley PLCs and FactoryTalk View.
• Perform automation engineering activities including design, development, and commissioning.
• Provide periodic status updates to Project Management and leadership.
• Support electronic systems (such as plant historians) used to capture process automation-related production data.
• In coordination with automation and compliance consultants, set and reinforce standards for appropriate rigor in automation work products.
• Demonstrate initiative, good planning, and organizational skills; ability to prioritize tasks and commitment to task completion and timelines.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer/Software Engineering, or a related technical field required.
• Demonstrated interest or hands-on experience in automation, controls, computer software/hardware, or engineering through internships, co-ops, academic projects, or other relevant experiences is preferred.
• Exposure to industrial automation technologies (e.g., PLCs, SCADA, robotics) or programming (e.g., Python, C#, or similar) is a plus.
• Pharmaceutical or regulated industry experience is preferred but not required.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role.

Skills

• Keen technical curiosity and strong problem-solving skills.
• Desire for continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to influence peers and business partners.
• Good written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• GMP knowledge and experience, regulatory requirements, and computer system validation.

Additional Preferences

• Hands-on experience in SCADA, DCS, PLC, and MES systems (DeltaV, Rockwell, Syncade, etc).

Other Information

Initial location at Parkwood West, Indianapolis. Permanent location at the new Lilly Medicines Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana.

Benefits

• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k) and pension.
• Vacation benefits.
• Eligibility for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits.
• Flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts).
• Life insurance and death benefits.
• Certain time off and leave of absence benefits.
• Well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).
• Company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).

Pay

The anticipated wage for this position is $66,000 - $171,600.