Position
Summary
Horizon Controls Group is
seeking an experienced Senior Automation Engineer with strong hands-on
expertise in both Emerson DeltaV and Werum PAS-X Syncade systems
to support and enhance pharmaceutical manufacturing operations in Limerick,
Ireland.
The successful candidate will play a critical
role in the design, implementation, validation, optimization, and lifecycle
management of automation and MES platforms supporting GMP-regulated production
environments. This role requires deep technical knowledge of process control
systems, manufacturing execution systems, integration architecture, and
pharmaceutical compliance standards.
This position is ideal for a professional who
has successfully delivered automation and digital manufacturing projects within
biotech or pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and possesses strong
collaboration skills across engineering, operations, quality, validation, and
IT teams.
Key Responsibilities
DeltaV Automation Responsibilities
- Design, configure, implement, and maintain Emerson DeltaV
DCS/PCS systems for pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
- Develop and modify:
- Control modules
- Equipment modules
- Batch recipes
- Phases and operations
- Alarms and interlocks
- HMI graphics
- Support commissioning, startup, SAT, FAT, and qualification
activities.
- Troubleshoot DeltaV hardware and software issues in manufacturing
environments.
- Perform system upgrades, patches, migrations, and lifecycle
management activities.
- Configure and maintain:
- DeltaV Batch
- DeltaV Continuous
Historian
- DeltaV Live
- OPC interfaces
- SIS/ESD integrations where
applicable
- Ensure high system availability and cybersecurity compliance.
- Participate in root cause investigations and CAPA implementation
for automation-related deviations.
Syncade MES Responsibilities
- Configure and support Werum PAS-X Syncade MES applications
within GMP production operations.
- Develop and maintain:
- Electronic Batch Records
(EBR)
- Workflows
- Material management
processes
- Weigh & dispense
solutions
- Equipment tracking
- Recipe execution flows
- Collaborate with manufacturing and quality teams to optimize
MES-driven workflows.
- Integrate Syncade with:
- DeltaV
- SAP/ERP systems
- LIMS
- Historians and data
platforms
- Support electronic review-by-exception initiatives.
- Drive digital manufacturing and paperless manufacturing
transformation programs.
- Troubleshoot MES execution issues and support manufacturing
operations during production campaigns.
System Integration Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain integrations between DeltaV and Syncade
platforms.
- Support ISA-88 and ISA-95 aligned automation architectures.
- Collaborate with IT/OT teams on:
- Network architecture
- Data integrity
- Cybersecurity
- System interoperability
- Ensure compliant data flow between automation layers and enterprise
systems.
- Support serialisation, track-and-trace, and digital manufacturing
initiatives where applicable.
Validation & Compliance
- Ensure systems comply with:
- GMP/GxP requirements
- FDA 21 CFR Part 11
- Annex 11
- Data Integrity standards
- Author and review:
- URS
- FS/DS
- IQ/OQ/PQ protocols
- Risk assessments
- Traceability matrices
- SOPs
- Participate in audits and regulatory inspections.
- Maintain validated state of automation and MES systems.
Requirements
Required Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in:
- Automation Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Biotechnology Engineering
- Other related technical
discipline
Mandatory Technical Experience
DeltaV (Required)
- Minimum 5+ years of hands-on Emerson DeltaV experience.
- Strong experience with:
- DeltaV Batch
- Recipe configuration
- Control strategies
- Commissioning and
troubleshooting
- System administration
- Experience in GMP pharmaceutical or biotech manufacturing
environments.
Syncade MES (Required)
- Minimum 3+ years of hands-on Syncade MES experience.
- Experience configuring and supporting:
- Electronic Batch Records
- Workflow management
- Manufacturing execution
processes
- Recipe execution
- Strong MES integration experience with DeltaV.
Candidates must possess strong practical
experience in BOTH DeltaV and Syncade. Experience in only one platform will not
meet the requirements for this role.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in sterile, biologics, API, or fill-finish manufacturing
environments.
- Knowledge of:
- ISA-88
- ISA-95
- OPC/OPC UA
- SQL databases
- Historian systems
- Industrial networking
- Experience with:
- Emerson Lifecycle Services
- PAS-X integrations
- SAP integration
- Serialization systems
- Digital transformation
projects
- Exposure to cloud manufacturing analytics platforms is
advantageous.
- PMP, DeltaV, or MES certifications are a plus.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Automation, Electrical, Computer, Chemical, Biotechnology or related technical discipline
- Minimum 5+ years hands-on Emerson DeltaV experience (DeltaV Batch, recipe configuration, control strategies, commissioning, troubleshooting, system administration)
- Minimum 3+ years hands-on Werum PAS-X Syncade MES experience (EBR, workflow management, recipe execution, manufacturing execution processes)
- Practical experience integrating Syncade MES with DeltaV
- Experience in GMP pharmaceutical or biotech manufacturing environments
- Experience with OPC/OPC UA interfaces and historian integrations
- Knowledge of FDA 21 CFR Part 11, Annex 11 and data integrity requirements; experience authoring URS, FS/DS, IQ/OQ/PQ
- Ability to support commissioning, SAT, FAT, qualification activities and participate in audits/inspections
What We Do
Horizon Controls Group: A global leader in automation consulting, enabling both clients and employees to live on the forefront of evolving technology. Horizon Controls Group is a modern, global technology company, specializing in automation consulting, engineering, and training. Founded on the belief that our people are the difference, we have grown entirely from customer references and successive projects. Our people and their established reputation are our most valued assets. This belief has created a great place to work, enabling us to attract the very best and to give our customers confidence in our superior solutions. Our business is comprised of excellence at every level. We employ a pro-active and comprehensive approach to projects -- asking the right questions, analyzing client needs, and engineering a skilled solution. We are committed to understanding the entire spectrum of your automation challenges and to developing uniquely tailored innovative solutions. Our decision to be vendor-independent enables us to offer tailored solutions and represent your needs free of any conflict of interest. We are aligned exclusively with our customers' goals and system requirements, enabling us to provide maximum value. Ultimately, the ability to harvest maximum value from new systems is dependent on the quality and training of your people. Just as we expect and ensure absolute expertise in our people, we work with you to ensure your team is trained to the specific needs of your organization and remain at the forefront of industry trends. We are a global company operating in the United States from our headquarters in Blue Bell, PA and offices in Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and California and from Cork in Ireland. This is Horizon Controls Group’s official company LinkedIn page.
