Manufacturing Automation Engineer

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

As the Manufacturing Automation Engineer, you will support the design, operation, control, and optimization of assets and manufacturing processes at the Elwood, Kansas monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturing facility. In this role, you will develop deep process and equipment expertise while contributing to data analysis, troubleshooting, technology transfer, capital project delivery, and continuous improvement initiatives. You will also play a key role in building and improving local engineering systems aligned with Elanco operational standards, while supporting the development of front-line process engineering talent.

• Provide end-to-end process engineering support for capital projects, including scope definition, design development, equipment selection, commissioning, qualification, validation, and construction oversight

• Develop and execute process design tools such as mass and energy balances and support user requirements and technical design specifications

• Serve as a subject matter expert for process engineering within capital project teams, ensuring alignment with technical, safety, and regulatory requirements

• Create, review, and maintain key technical documentation including URS, P&IDs, PFDs, validation protocols, and safety/environmental assessments

• Provide on-floor manufacturing support for troubleshooting, deviation management, and root cause analysis to ensure equipment remains in a qualified state of control

• Analyze process and equipment data to identify performance gaps and lead engineering-driven improvements to optimize reliability, capacity, and cost

• Lead or support HAZOPs, process safety reviews, and risk assessments to ensure safe, compliant manufacturing operations and mitigation of hazards

• Ensure compliance with GMP, regulatory, safety, and environmental requirements while managing change control for equipment, process, and maintenance activities

• Support development of the Process Engineering function, including KPI definition, standard work creation, talent development, and cross-functional collaboration with manufacturing and engineering teams

• Education: Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in an Engineering discipline

• Experience: 5+ years in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or other regulated manufacturing environment

• Top Skills: Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, and experience working in cross-functional teams

• Working knowledge of cGMP requirements and regulated manufacturing environments. Strong communication, organizational, and computer skills with ability to work independently and deliver results

• 7+ years of experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology manufacturing environment

• Experience in monoclonal antibody or recombinant protein manufacturing

• Hands-on experience with upstream and downstream biologics processes (cell culture, purification, chromatography, filtration, viral inactivation, sterilization)

• Experience in commissioning, qualification, validation, and technology transfer activities

• Capital project design, execution, and engineering leadership experience

• Familiarity with systems such as SAP, ERP, AutoCAD, and Veeva Vault

• Experience applying RCI, FMEA, and QRM methodologies

• Knowledge of USDA and/or EMA regulations for veterinary biologics

• Supervisory or people leadership experience

• Location: Elwood, Kansas (on-site role)

• Schedule: Day shift; occasional evening/weekend support may be required for operations

• Travel: Minimal (<5%)

• Employment Type: Full-time, permanent, salaried position

Don’t meet every single requirement?  Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!  

Elanco Benefits and Perks: 

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include: 

• Multiple relocation packages

• 8-week parental leave 

• 9 Employee Resource Groups 

• Annual bonus offering 

• Flexible work arrangements 

• Up to 6% 401K matching 

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.