Plant Operations
Automaton Engineer
Office Location: Verona, WI
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARWR) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.
Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.
Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI and San Diego, CA. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need.
The Position
The Engineer I, Automation provides technical leadership for manufacturing process control system projects and contributes to continuous improvements that enhance efficiency, safety, and productivity for the manufacturing plant. The Engineer I, Automation is responsible for reliable and efficient operation of manufacturing process control programming, hardware, and supporting network infrastructure. Core duties will include identifying and implementing quality/reliability/safety improvements to an existing system, supporting system lifecycle management within the Facility Engineering and Automation team, supporting process improvements requested by the Plant Operations team, and supporting projects to transfer new automated equipment to manufacturing facilities.
Responsibilities
- Program, troubleshoot, and maintain PLC and SCADA programs and process control hardware to support pharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Lead and implement automation design and programming projects of simple to moderate complexity; collaborate on shared deliverables, mitigate project risks, provide project updates, and meet deliverable timelines
- Define scope and deliverables of automation design and programming projects of major complexity; provide technical guidance and oversight of contracted system integrators for project delivery.
- Update, maintain, and establish technical documents and electrical / network drawings.
- Lead the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for process control system administration, maintenance, and management of changes.
- Execute administrative and maintenance tasks such as back-up and patching in adherence to prescribed schedule.
- Front line troubleshooting of process automation programming and hardware issues to support business continuity. Provide second level troubleshooting to maintenance departments for process control instrumentation and wiring.
- Partner with IS&I to administrate and troubleshoot process control system network infrastructure and hardware.
- Own system lifecycle management by assessing software and hardware for updates or upgrades, supporting strategic plan development, and implementing upgrade projects.
- Ensure all automation activities comply with internal and external compliance requirements by following good engineering practices and change management procedures.
- Act as a point of contact for customers in Plant Operations and colleagues in IS&I for automation needs and issues
- Act as a customer for IS&I for process control server administration and escalate issues for troubleshooting as identified.
- Support audit reviews and activities as necessary
- Other duties as assigned
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical) or similar field
- 8 years of experience in an Automation Engineering role
- Proven experience and advanced knowledge of PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) programming
- Knowledge of cGMP / GAMP automation requirements
- Proven communication skills
- Proven ability to manage multiple timelines and deadlines
Preferred:
- Prior experience with SIEMENS process control hardware and programming (STEP 7, WinCC, Process Historian) systems.
- Prior experience working in a regulated environment.
- Knowledgeable on process control instrumentation installation, integration with control systems, and troubleshooting.
- Working knowledge of process control network infrastructure troubleshooting and administration.
- Understanding of FDA compliance requirements
Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.
All applicants must have authorization to work in the US for a company.