Sr. Principal Process Engineer

About the role

This is where your expertise helps people. In this role, you will support process and automation improvements within a manufacturing site. You will collaborate with Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, and Quality to drive improved performance of production equipment. You will be responsible for delivering equipment that supports process reliability, Industry 4.0 initiatives, and plant-wide efficiency, while ensuring process design and operation consistently meet Engineering and Quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Support daily operations by improving control systems, addressing obsolescence, and increasing equipment reliability.
• Develop and implement improvement strategies aligned with site priorities and long-term business objectives.
• Troubleshoot and optimize automated equipment to boost throughput, uptime, and repeatability.
• Map process flows and critical control points to enable data-driven decision-making.
• Advance digital transformation through automation, data integration, and Industry 4.0 technologies.
• Use Lean, Six Sigma, and statistical tools to remove bottlenecks and enhance process capability.
• Lead or support root-cause analysis and problem-solving for project-specific challenges.
• Execute continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, and operational efficiency.
• Develop and update SOPs, protocols, and work instructions to align with process and equipment changes.
• Lead NCR/CAPA investigations and drive effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Manage change controls for equipment and process modifications.
• Deliver training and provide ongoing technical support to production teams.
• Act as an SME for equipment troubleshooting and process performance improvements.
• Guide cross-functional teams and vendors while providing technical leadership on complex engineering initiatives.
• Direct oversight of employees.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, or related field preferred).
• Must not be allergic to Penicillin/Cephalosporin.
• 8+ years of relevant engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Onsite, full-time role with less than 10% travel.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance, safety standards, and validation practices.
• Demonstrated success with automation platforms, including Optimize automated systems for high reliability, minimal operator intervention, and stable performance across varying production conditions.
• Proven ability to reduce human error by simplifying interfaces, designing fail-safes (poka-yoke), and creating processes that naturally guide correct actions.
• Experience improving alarm nuance alerts by eliminating nuisance alerts, prioritizing actionable alarms, and using data to enhance operator response and situational awareness.
• Strong technical capability across motion control, VFDs, pneumatics/hydraulics, plus mechanical aptitude; experience with Serialization and SCADA is a plus.
• Experience applying structured risk-reduction tools (FMEA, failure-mode prevention), Industry 4.0 technologies (AI vision, robotics), and methodologies like Six Sigma, DFSS, and VOC.

Qualifications

• Must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S.

Skills

• Problem Solver
• Analytical Thinker
• Data Driven
• Solution Focused & Results Oriented
• Collaborative
• Innovative

Benefits

US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)

• Medical and dental coverage that starts on day one.
• Insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance.
• Financial and retirement benefits including the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP).
• Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave.
• Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits.

Pay

The estimated base salary for this position is $128,000 - $176,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based on location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Schedule

Onsite, full-time role with less than 10% travel.