Job Summary
Horizon Controls Group is seeking experienced
Senior Rockwell PLC / Automation Engineers to support the design, development,
and delivery of advanced manufacturing automation systems within a highly
regulated pharmaceutical environment.
This position is focused on engineers with
strong design-level automation expertise, rather than execution-only
experience. The successful candidate will play a key role in architecting and
developing automation solutions for complex manufacturing systems, working
within Lilly’s proprietary automation environment rather than traditional
off-the-shelf SCADA platforms such as Ignition, PlantPAx, or DeltaV.
The role requires a highly technical and
adaptable automation professional capable of working closely with global
engineering, process, manufacturing, CQV, and digital teams to deliver
scalable, compliant, and high-performing automation solutions supporting
next-generation pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and development of Rockwell PLC-based automation
solutions for pharmaceutical manufacturing systems and equipment.
- Develop and modify PLC logic, control strategies, functional
specifications, and automation architectures within Lilly’s proprietary
automation framework.
- Support automation system lifecycle activities, including design
reviews, testing, commissioning support, troubleshooting, and operational
readiness.
- Collaborate with process engineers, manufacturing teams, CQV, MES,
and digital engineering functions to ensure automation solutions align
with operational and compliance requirements.
- Work within a non-standard Lilly automation architecture, requiring
flexibility and the ability to quickly understand custom-built
manufacturing control systems.
- Participate in automation design workshops, risk assessments, and
technical reviews to ensure robust and scalable system designs.
- Support integration activities between PLC systems, MES platforms,
historians, databases, and enterprise systems.
- Develop and review technical documentation including URS, FDS, SDS,
IO lists, network architecture diagrams, test documentation, and change
controls.
- Ensure compliance with GMP, GAMP5, data integrity, and
cybersecurity standards throughout the automation lifecycle.
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and
project teams.
- Support FAT, SAT, commissioning, IQ/OQ activities, and startup
support where required.
- Troubleshoot complex automation and controls issues within live
manufacturing environments.
Requirements
Required Experience & Qualifications
- Degree in Automation, Electrical, Electronic, Mechatronic,
Software, or related Engineering discipline.
- Strong experience as a PLC / Automation Engineer within
pharmaceutical, biotech, or regulated manufacturing industries.
- Advanced hands-on expertise with Rockwell PLC platforms including ControlLogix, CompactLogix, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk, and
related technologies.
- Proven design-level experience developing automation
architectures, PLC code, and control strategies — not solely commissioning
or execution support.
- Comfortable working within custom or proprietary automation
architectures rather than relying exclusively on standard SCADA
platforms such as Ignition, PlantPAx, or DeltaV.
- Strong understanding of industrial automation networks, field
instrumentation, and system integration principles.
- Experience supporting manufacturing process equipment and automated
production systems.
- Familiarity with GMP environments, GAMP5, ISA-88, ISA-95, and
pharmaceutical validation requirements.
- Experience with automation testing, commissioning, and
qualification activities.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills in complex operational
environments.
Preferred Experience
- Experience within API, biologics, or advanced pharmaceutical
manufacturing environments.
- Exposure to MES integration, digital manufacturing, or Industry 4.0
initiatives.
- Knowledge of serialization, batch systems, or data historians.
- Experience working on large-scale greenfield pharmaceutical
projects.
- Familiarity with cybersecurity and OT network standards.
Key Competencies
- Automation system design and architecture expertise
- Strong technical leadership and ownership mindset
- Excellent collaboration and communication skills
- Adaptability within custom engineering environments
- High attention to quality, compliance, and detail
- Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis capabilities
Skills Required
- Degree in Automation, Electrical, Electronic, Mechatronic, Software, or related Engineering discipline.
- Strong experience as a PLC / Automation Engineer within pharmaceutical, biotech, or regulated manufacturing industries.
- Advanced hands-on expertise with Rockwell PLC platforms including ControlLogix, CompactLogix, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk.
- Proven design-level experience developing automation architectures, PLC code, and control strategies.
- Comfortable working within custom or proprietary automation architectures rather than standard SCADA platforms.
- Strong understanding of industrial automation networks, field instrumentation, and system integration principles.
- Experience supporting manufacturing process equipment and automated production systems.
- Familiarity with GMP environments, GAMP5, ISA-88, ISA-95, and pharmaceutical validation requirements.
- Experience with automation testing, commissioning, and qualification activities (FAT, SAT, IQ/OQ).
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills in complex operational environments.
- Technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and project teams.
- Experience with MES integration, digital manufacturing, or Industry 4.0 initiatives.
- Experience within API, biologics, or advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.
- Knowledge of serialization, batch systems, or data historians.
- Experience working on large-scale greenfield pharmaceutical projects.
- Familiarity with cybersecurity and OT network standards.
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.
