Sr. Controls Engineer

About the Company

At West, we’re a dedicated team connected by a purpose to improve patient lives, a mission that has been central to our company for over a century. Our story began with Herman O. West solving the challenge of supplying penicillin in mass quantities during World War II. Today, we deliver thousands of life-saving and life-enhancing injectable medicines to millions of patients daily. We foster an inclusive community of professionals with opportunities for lifelong learning, growth, and development. Supported by comprehensive benefit programs, we empower the physical, mental, emotional, and financial health of our team members and their families. We are committed to giving back to our communities and to sustainability efforts that create a healthier environment and planet.

About the Role

In this role, you will be instrumental in implementing new technology, developing and introducing process improvements, standards, life cycle management, and validation in select process areas. You will help advance and transform West’s growing business, support capital investments, and address complex assignments. This position offers the opportunity to drive the implementation of innovative processes, automation, and new technologies in collaboration with engineering, quality assurance teams, and plants. You will be a member of the West Global Process Engineering Team.

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for a well-defined process area and related projects.
• Initiate, lead, and coordinate improvements of existing processes globally to enhance quality, service, HSE (Health, Safety, Environment), and cost within the standard approved process framework using best practice knowledge.
• Provide expertise in your specific technology relevant to West products within Global Engineering and other West functions.
• Acquire and expand knowledge in your specific area of expertise.
• Prepare and obtain approval for project time schedules, ensuring adherence to plans and budgets during implementation.
• Define best practice validation concepts.
• Support the implementation and roll-out of automation and new innovative processes and technologies in cooperation with automation, engineering, quality assurance teams, and plants.
• Assess the current process status across all relevant West locations globally, define best practices, perform gap analyses, and manage the harmonization of these practices across all involved sites.
• As part of the Global Subject Matter Expert (SME) network, demonstrate advanced knowledge of specific processes to support the Global Operations organization in resolving product or process-related issues.
• Initiate and lead communication with facilities and departments to foster good relations and maximize achievements through a cooperative environment.
• Engage in solutioning product or process-related issues as needed.
• Manage process, technology, or product transfer projects between plants from a process standpoint as assigned.
• Evaluate and approve all global change requests related to your area of expertise.
• Coordinate the interface between R&D, QA, Sales, and shop-floor production for new products.
• Manage the development of robust processes for final industrial production in targeted plants.
• Actively participate in the implementation and maintenance of a system to gather operational knowledge (Knowledge Management).
• Utilize Six Sigma tools to minimize process variation and improve product quality.
• Ensure all projects and activities comply with local, regional, and best practice requirements on HSE and meet other applicable authority requirements.
• Strictly follow all internal change control procedures, including adequate risk assessment/FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis).
• Prepare routine or on-demand reports within established deadlines.
• Participate in customer meetings to resolve complaints and serve as West’s production processes subject matter expert.
• Support the introduction, start-up, and validation of new equipment at local sites to ensure short start-up times.
• Utilize data-based decision-making, create test plans, evaluate test results, and define new process parameters based on analysis.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or another scientific area, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 5 years (Senior Associate level) experience in a similar position within a manufacturing industry.
• Experience in project management is preferred.

Skills

• Good knowledge of LEAN and Six Sigma manufacturing principles.
• Proficiency with statistical tools and Minitab.
• Knowledge of cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices).
• Awareness of all relevant standard operating procedures as per company policy.
• Ability to support and contribute to Lean Sigma programs and activities to meet set targets.
• Strong capability working with Siemens-based PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers).
• Strong capability working with Allen Bradley-based PLCs.
• Self-motivated, results- and solution-oriented personality.
• Very good organizational and project management skills.
• Highly analytical and structured approach to work.
• Ability to successfully collaborate with teams across different countries and organizational levels.
• Fluent in English.
• Proficient in Microsoft-based programs.
• Ability to assert technical solutions and standards in an international environment.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate well with people across different countries.
• Ability to work with colleagues in different time zones.
• Strong organizational skills to enable planning, prioritization, and achievement of goals.
• Ability to read and interpret data, information, and documents.
• Ability to work well with others in a variety of situations.
• Ability to multi-task, work under time constraints, problem-solve, and prioritize.
• Ability to make independent and sound judgments.
• Ability to observe and interpret situations, analyze, and solve problems.

Travel Requirements

Up to 20% travel, estimated at 52 business days per year.

Physical Requirements

Light work, exerting up to 20 lbs/9 kg of force frequently and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg control requires exertion of force greater than that of sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is considered light work. The role operates in a professional office environment and may require standing or sitting for extended periods. Routine use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines is required.