Senior Engineer, Innovation

About the Role

FFF Enterprises is seeking a Senior Engineer, Innovation—an advanced engineering and project leadership role responsible for designing, developing, and implementing complex pharmaceutical distribution centers and pharmacy fulfillment centers. This position translates operational strategy, data analytics, facility requirements, material handling equipment design, and third-party execution plans into highly reliable, compliant, scalable, and efficient operational environments. The Senior Innovation Engineer serves as a senior subject matter expert in facility design, operational engineering, automation, process design, and end-to-end project execution, leading initiatives from concept and business case development through construction, equipment installation, commissioning, operational readiness, and stabilization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of complex pharmaceutical distribution centers and pharmacy fulfillment centers, including facility layout, process flow, equipment specification, automation concepts, labor models, capacity planning, and operational readiness requirements.
• Develop facility and process designs from concept through implementation, including business case development, engineering analysis, budget support, timeline development, vendor coordination, testing, commissioning, and transition to steady-state operations.
• Manage large-scale facility build and improvement projects from ground-up construction or major renovation through operational launch, stabilization, and post-implementation performance validation.
• Direct and coordinate third-party resources, including general contractors, architects, engineers, material handling equipment providers, automation vendors, fabrication partners, installation teams, and other external service providers.
• Design, evaluate, and implement advanced material handling systems, automation solutions, storage systems, workflow technologies, and custom equipment fabricated by third-party partners to meet unique operational requirements.
• Use advanced data analytics to evaluate operational performance, model capacity, forecast labor and equipment requirements, identify constraints, quantify improvement opportunities, and validate investment decisions.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Compliance, IT, Finance, Customer Service, Pharmacy, and other stakeholders to ensure facility and process designs support regulatory requirements, customer expectations, business continuity, safety, productivity, quality, and scalability.
• Develop detailed project plans, resource plans, risk registers, issue logs, communication plans, and executive updates to ensure complex initiatives remain aligned, visible, and effectively controlled.
• Create and maintain process flows, facility layouts, equipment concepts, operating assumptions, requirements documentation, standard work, test plans, training support materials, and transition plans for current-state and future-state operations.
• Calculate labor, material, equipment, capital, operating cost, throughput, capacity, and overhead impacts associated with current and future-state processes and present findings in a clear, actionable manner for senior leadership and project stakeholders.
• Perform the role primarily as a remote position while maintaining the flexibility and availability to travel up to 50% to support facility design, construction, vendor coordination, equipment installation, operational readiness, and project implementation activities.
• Operate office equipment: computer, scanner, printer, copier, fax, 10 Key, calculator, and phone.
• Adhere to all company policies and procedures, Federal and State regulations and laws.
• Demonstrate dedication to position responsibilities and achieve assigned goals and objectives.
• Represent the Company in a professional manner and appearance at all times.
• Understand and internalize the Company’s purpose; display loyalty to the Company and its organizational values.
• Display enthusiasm and dedication to learning how to be more effective on the job and share knowledge with others.
• Work effectively with co-workers, internal and external customers, and others by sharing ideas constructively, listening objectively, keeping commitments, and addressing problems constructively.
• Comply with the policies and procedures stated in the Injury and Illness Prevention Program by always working safely and reporting hazards.
• Ensure conduct is consistent with all Compliance Program Policies and procedures; immediately report any concerns or violations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A four-year college degree in engineering is required.
• Advanced knowledge of facility design, industrial engineering, distribution operations, pharmacy fulfillment operations, automation, material handling systems, project management, and data analytics is required.
• Lean / Six-Sigma certification, PMP certification, or other relevant engineering, project management, or continuous improvement certification is preferred.
• At least 10 years of applicable experience demonstrating advanced capability in engineering, facility design, distribution operations, pharmacy fulfillment operations, automation, material handling equipment design, and project leadership.
• Extensive experience designing complex pharmaceutical distribution centers, pharmacy fulfillment centers, or similarly regulated high-volume operational environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading facility projects from initial concept, business case, design, and construction through equipment installation, system integration, operational launch, and stabilization.
• Significant experience managing third-party resources, including general contractors, material handling equipment providers, automation vendors, equipment fabricators, architects, engineers, and implementation partners.
• Advanced experience developing and applying data analytics, capacity models, labor models, throughput analyses, cost models, ROI analyses, and performance dashboards to support operational decision-making.
• Hands-on experience with WMS, WCS, ERP, automation controls, process mapping, CAD or facility layout tools, project management tools, and analytical software.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing custom or purpose-built material handling equipment fabricated by third-party providers.
• Experience with highly regulated pharmaceutical, healthcare, cold chain, specialty distribution, or pharmacy fulfillment environments.
• Experience leading cross-functional operational transformation initiatives involving Operations, IT, Quality, Compliance, Finance, HR, Customer Service, Pharmacy, and external partners.
• Experience developing capital requests, financial justification, implementation roadmaps, and executive-level business cases for major facility or automation investments.

Skills

• Advanced experience and demonstrated mastery in pharmaceutical distribution center design and pharmacy fulfillment center design.
• Facility layout, process flow, capacity planning, labor modeling, and operational readiness.
• Material handling equipment design, automation concepts, equipment specification, and custom equipment development.
• Large-scale facility project management from ground-up build or major renovation through operational launch.
• Third-party resource management, including general contractors, material handling equipment providers, automation vendors, fabrication partners, architects, and engineers.
• Data analytics, financial analysis, business case development, capacity modeling, and performance measurement.
• Cross-functional leadership, stakeholder communication, risk management, change management, and executive-level reporting.
• Strong computer skills and advanced capability with MS Office and relevant engineering, project management, design, process mapping, and analytical software, including:
  • MS Project or similar project management software.
  • CAD design or facility layout software.
  • Visio, Lucidchart, or other process mapping software.
  • SQL-based analytic tools, Power BI, Tableau, Access, Excel, or other data analytics platforms.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple complex priorities, vendors, timelines, budgets, risks, and deliverables simultaneously.
• Strong detail orientation and the proven ability to translate complex operational requirements into clear designs, plans, decisions, and implementation actions.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly to executive leaders, project teams, operational stakeholders, and third-party partners.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision while effectively leading cross-functional teams through complex projects and operational change.
• Sound judgment, strong problem-solving ability, technical curiosity, accountability, and disciplined decision-making.

Physical Requirements

• Vision, hearing, speech, and movements requiring the use of wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Ability to view a computer screen for long periods and sit for extended periods.
• Ability to work the hours and days required to complete the essential functions of the position, as scheduled.
• Occasionally lifts up to 20 lbs. and occasionally kneels and bends.
• Ability to travel up to 50% to distribution centers, pharmacy fulfillment centers, construction sites, vendor locations, and project implementation locations.

Working conditions include a remote office setting, normal office settings, active operational environments, construction or installation areas, and vendor or project sites.

Mental Demands

• Learning, thinking, concentration, and problem-solving, particularly during complex project phases, facility launches, vendor escalations, and operational transitions.
• Ability to pay close attention to detail while managing ambiguity, competing priorities, technical complexity, financial considerations, compliance requirements, and stakeholder expectations.
• Ability to interact effectively with co-workers, customers, third-party providers, and senior leaders, exercising self-control and diplomacy in project, vendor, customer, and employee relations situations.
• Exercise discretion and appropriate judgment when making or recommending decisions that impact the company.