System Engineer
About the role
You would join a life sciences engineering team in the Conejo Valley, working Rockwell projects for the biotech and pharma manufacturers. Real project delivery, not a ticket queue and not staff augmentation. You would own scope, run it, and bring a less experienced engineer along while you do. Small team, young office, golf course outside the door. The company is one of the largest employee-owned automation integrators in North America, founded in 1989, and has never run a layoff in its history. Engineers tend to stay long term because the work is steady, the benefits are strong, and people are trusted to get on with their jobs.
What you'll do
The stack is Rockwell. ControlLogix and Studio 5000 for the logic, PlantPAx across the process layer, FactoryTalk View for HMI and SCADA. You would take a design from P&ID through configuration and testing to a commissioned system, documented to the standard a regulated client expects.
A typical week mixes design work in the office with time on client sites for reviews, testing and commissioning, alongside client process engineers, QA and operations. You would also lead smaller projects and mentor juniors.
What you'll need
- Strong hands-on Rockwell programming, meaning code you wrote rather than maintained
- ControlLogix and Studio 5000 as the core, with FactoryTalk View as the HMI layer and PlantPAx across the process side
- Pharma or biotech experience, comfortable inside a GMP quality system with change control, SOPs and validation as part of the day
- Project leadership: a project you owned, a small team you led, a junior you brought along
- 3–8 years experience (more experienced engineers welcome)
- B.S. in Electrical, Chemical or Computer Engineering or Engineering Technology
- US work authorization, no sponsorship
Why this role is worth considering
- Employee-owned business with no layoff in its history
- Real project ownership in life sciences rather than staff augmentation
- Leading small projects and mentoring juniors without becoming a people manager
- Performance bonus on top of base, and three weeks vacation
- Medical, dental and vision, and a 401(k) with company match
- Relocation support, ongoing training and certifications
Schedule & location
In office, with regular local travel to client sites across LA and Ventura County. Commissioning runs longer on site, but this is not a road warrior job. The process is short and can be done inside a week.
The kind of person who will do well
You do not need to be the most senior engineer in the market. You do need to pick up a project, scope it, run it and document it without being chased, and explain your logic to a process engineer or QA lead without losing them. If you need constant greenfield work, heavy travel, or a fully remote schedule, this will not be the right role. If you have real Rockwell depth and life sciences behind you, it is worth a conversation.