Automation Engineer – Packaging & Process Automation (Pharmaceutical Manufacturing)

Location: Oxford, England, United Kingdom; 100% onsite.

Company

hirify.global develops mRNA medicines and is establishing a research, development, and manufacturing facility at Harwell for onshore mRNA vaccine production in the UK.

What you will do

• Provide hands-on automation engineering support for drug product packaging and drug substance manufacturing operations.
• Troubleshoot and optimise PLCs, Emerson DeltaV systems, HMIs, instrumentation, industrial networks, machine controls, servo and motion systems, vision technologies, and equipment interfaces.
• Support automated labelling, secondary packaging, serialization, aggregation, inspection, printing, conveying, robotics, and material-handling systems.
• Deliver automation projects through design, FAT, SAT, commissioning, qualification, validation, start-up, and handover to manufacturing.
• Investigate failures, downtime, quality events, and deviations; implement root-cause corrective and preventive actions.
• Maintain compliant automation documentation and validated systems while improving reliability, OEE, changeovers, integration, lifecycle management, and manufacturing performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Packaging Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of automation engineering experience supporting manufacturing equipment, preferably in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or another highly regulated industry.
• Experience troubleshooting and supporting automated manufacturing or packaging equipment in a GMP/GxP-regulated manufacturing environment.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex multidisciplinary equipment problems involving mechanical, electrical, controls, and automation systems.
• Experience supporting equipment changes through formal engineering and quality-system processes.
• Clear communication skills for explaining complex technical information to manufacturing personnel, technical teams, leadership, vendors, and Quality stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and drive technical issues to resolution.
• Flexibility to provide occasional off-hours, holiday, and weekend support.

Nice to have

• Knowledge of pharmaceutical drug product packaging operations and packaging-line equipment.
• Experience with packaging OEMs and technologies including Marchesini, Optima, Syntegon/Bosch, Körber, Antares Vision, Cognex, Keyence, Zebra, Videojet, Domino, Rockwell Automation, or similar systems.
• Proficiency with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell PLCs, HMIs, servo systems, industrial networks, and machine controls.
• Experience with machine vision, automated inspection, serialization, aggregation, and Level 1–4 packaging architecture.
• Familiarity with 21 CFR Part 11, electronic records and signatures, data integrity, and computerized system lifecycle principles.
• Knowledge of packaging quality topics including label control, reconciliation, vision inspection, barcode grading, tamper evidence, container and closure integrity interfaces, and product traceability.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, FMEA, RCA, structured problem solving, reliability engineering, manufacturing data, historians, MES, CMMS, or analytics tools.
• Understanding of IT/OT networking, equipment lifecycle management, preventive maintenance, spare-parts strategies, obsolescence management, new-equipment introduction, technology transfer, scale-up, and commercial manufacturing readiness.
• Ability to learn new equipment, technologies, and manufacturing processes quickly; interest in contributing to a high-growth, transformational company with Bold, Relentless, Curious, and Collaborative values.

Culture & Benefits

• In-person, site-based work with close collaboration across Engineering, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Quality, Validation, Supply Chain, Automation, Digital, and external partners.
• Competitive healthcare and voluntary benefits, with location-specific perks.
• Fitness, mindfulness, mental health, and other well-being support.
• Family-building benefits including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support.
• Paid vacation, bank holidays, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown.
• Savings and investment programs, plus a smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free workplace.