Sr. Specialist, OT Research Infrastructure

About the role

RaDS IT Research Infrastructure Product Line (RIPL) is seeking a Senior Specialist, Plant Automation, OT Infrastructure, Controls & Industrial Automation to support pilot plant automation, process automation, control systems, and IT/OT infrastructure in a regulated research and manufacturing environment. This role designs, builds, integrates, and supports OT automation solutions across current and future plant automation architectures. Key technologies include PLC, HMI, SCADA, DCS, DeltaV, MES, PI Historian, virtualization, industrial networking, OT cybersecurity, and system integration. The role partners with scientists, engineers, IT architects, infrastructure, quality, vendors, and site operations to improve reliability, efficiency, troubleshooting, and productivity. The primary location is Rahway, NJ or West Point, PA and will provide support services to other sites.

Responsibilities

• Optimize IT/OT infrastructure for plant automation, process control, industrial automation, and manufacturing automation by identifying gaps, trends, efficiencies, and technology refresh opportunities.
• Build, maintain, and support OT infrastructure for GMP manufacturing and pilot plant operations, including secure industrial networks, control systems, and OT cybersecurity practices.
• Lead or support project scoping, technical requirements, IT infrastructure deliverables, commissioning readiness, estimates, and automation infrastructure solutions.
• Partner with stakeholders, scientists, automation engineers, process engineers, controls engineers, infrastructure teams, and vendors to translate needs into technical requirements.
• Contribute to solution architecture for plant automation, OT infrastructure, industrial networks, SCADA, MES, PI Historian, virtualization, on-premises systems, and cloud-connected components.
• Provide technical support for automation systems, control systems, and OT infrastructure, including troubleshooting, incident resolution, root cause analysis, and continuous service improvement.
• Map, design, and maintain IT/OT service architecture diagrams, including control networks, servers, virtualization, backups, archival, data flows, interfaces, and integrations.
• Collaborate with Research & Development scientists and engineers to identify plant automation, research automation, manufacturing automation, and data integration needs.
• Work with instrument vendors, automation suppliers, system integrators, and equipment manufacturers to evaluate and implement plant automation, process automation, and industrial control technologies.
• Provide timely IT support for investigations, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and resolution while partnering with infrastructure, engineering, security, risk, quality, and compliance teams.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in automation, engineering, computer science, or computer engineering related degree. A Master’s degree is preferred.

Experience:

• 5 years of experience with upstream manufacturing systems, pilot plant automation, process automation, or manufacturing automation platforms such as DeltaV, Eppendorf, AMBR, DCS, PLC, HMI, SCADA, control systems, networking, virtualization, server management, capital projects, and PI Historian data integration.
• 4 years of hands‑on experience with Rockwell / Allen‑Bradley PLCs, HMI configuration, SCADA systems, OT cybersecurity, OT data architecture, MES, industrial networking, or IT/OT integration.
• 4 years of knowledge of VMware, virtualized OT environments, DeltaV, PI / PI Historian, MES, SCADA backup and archival, data retention, Windows servers, and regulated computer system support.
• 4 years of experience with industrial networking, switches, VLANs, subnets, firewalls, Windows Active Directory, virtual infrastructure, servers, and OT network segmentation.
• Experience supporting manufacturing software and hardware, including Ignition, MES, SAP, HMI, PLC, SCADA, DCS, industrial PCs, servers, switches, firewalls, and network equipment.
• Strong troubleshooting, root cause analysis, problem‑solving, incident management, and operational support skills in plant automation or industrial control systems.
• Experience building support models for plant automation, OT infrastructure, and industrial control systems, including ownership, escalation, runbooks, monitoring, and improvement.
• Ability to lead multiple IT, OT infrastructure, controls, automation, and system integration projects.
• Able to work independently and cross‑functionally with automation engineers, process engineers, manufacturing users, infrastructure, cybersecurity, quality, and vendors.
• Excellent collaboration, communication, technical documentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Understanding of SDLC, validation, change control, computer system lifecycle, and regulated system support.

Skills

• Automation, Automation Solutions, Data Engineering, Data Visualization, Design Applications, Design of Experiments (DOE), Distributed Control System (DCS), Efficiency Improvements, Engineering Support, Equipment Engineering, Experimental Methods, HMI Development, Industrial Control System, Industrial Processes, Laboratory Protocols, Laboratory Research, Manufacturing Process Controls, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Process Control, Reliability Improvement, Root Cause Identification, Situation Management, Software Configurations, Software Development (plus 4 more)

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $117,000.00 - $184,200.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long‑term incentive, if applicable.