Senior Specialist, Manufacturing Automation

Job Description

At our company, we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. We're at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. Join our manufacturing division and be part of a team that is dedicated to maintaining reliable, compliant, and secure automation solutions while driving continuous improvement and digital manufacturing initiatives.

Working within the Site DMO team, the Senior Specialist, Manufacturing Automation serves as the site technical lead for manufacturing automation systems supporting production operations. The role provides automation expertise across PLC, HMI, machine vision, serialization, MES, IT and OEM manufacturing systems. The position is responsible for maintaining reliable, compliant and secure automation solutions while driving continuous improvement, equipment reliability, and digital manufacturing initiatives. Emphasis is placed on packaging automation, vision inspection systems, and serialization technologies, including Systech, Cognex and Optel platforms.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and shop floor support for PLC, HMI, Vision Systems, Serialization, MES, IT, Inspection, and OEM equipment within Manufacturing Operations.
• Serve as the site subject matter expert for machine vision and serialization technologies, with strong preference for Systech experience and knowledge of Cognex and Optel platforms.
• Act as the primary interface between Operations and digital support organizations to resolve issues impacting production performance and equipment reliability.
• Lead troubleshooting, root cause investigations, and implementation of corrective and preventive actions for complex automation-related issues.
• Support packaging and inspection systems including barcode verification, reject verification processes, track-and-trace, and serialization solutions.
• Develop and execute strategies to optimize automation system performance, reliability, scalability, and lifecycle management.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities that improve throughput, reduce downtime, and enhance product quality.
• Lead or support automation modernization projects, equipment upgrades, startup activities, and new technology deployments.
• Ensure systems remain compliant with GMP, validation, data integrity, cybersecurity, and change management requirements.
• Maintain automation documentation, backups, inventories, SOPs, and system lifecycle records.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and technical knowledge sharing across engineering, maintenance, and operations teams.
• Participate in on-call and limited off-shift support as required to maintain manufacturing operations.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Science, Engineering or related technical field.   
• Eight or more (8+) years of automation, controls engineering, manufacturing systems, or related experience.
• Strong working knowledge of PLCs, HMIs, servo drives, and industrial control systems.
• Experience supporting automation systems in regulated manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated project leadership, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred

• Experience with packaging technology and automated inspection equipment.
• Knowledge of vision systems including Systech, Cognex, and Optel.
• Familiarity with serialization and track-and-trace technologies.
• Guardian platform experience preferred.
• MES, IT/OT integration, data integrity, and cybersecurity knowledge.
• Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and Right First-Time methodologies.

Required Skills:

Audit Management, Automation Engineering, Business Process Improvements, Contract Management, Data Management, Digital Manufacturing, GMP Compliance, Industrial Control System, Lean Manufacturing, Operations Automation, Packaging Optimization, Packaging Processes, Problem Management, Project Leadership, Quality Management, Real-Time Programming, Security Compliance, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The salary range for this role is

$117,000.00 - $184,200.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

09/2/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.