Automation Engineer

Piper Companies is seeking an Automation Engineer to support a major pharmaceutical manufacturing expansion for an organization within the life sciences industry for a 12-month onsite contract opportunity based in Clayton, NC. The Automation Engineer will play a key role in bringing new finished product assembly and packaging lines online, working hands-on in a highly technical, fast-paced environment during an active construction and startup phase. This Automation Engineer will be embedded on-site and involved across the full lifecycle of equipment integration through production readiness.

Responsibilities of the Automation Engineer include:

· Provide hands-on automation and controls support for finished product assembly and packaging equipment during installation, startup, and ramp-up.

· Support commissioning activities by executing and documenting IO checks, SAT support, and functional testing in alignment with project timelines.

· Serve as a technical liaison between equipment vendors, engineering, and IT/OT teams to ensure seamless system integration.

· Troubleshoot automation, HMI, and connectivity issues, identifying root causes across controls, networking, and infrastructure layers.

· Support system configuration, updates, backups, and change activities to maintain reliable and compliant production operations.

Qualifications for the Automation Engineer include:

· 3–7 years of automation or controls experience within a regulated pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device manufacturing environment.

· Hands-on exposure to PLC-based systems and HMIs, with experience supporting OEM equipment rather than full software development.

· Strong understanding of IT/OT integration, including industrial networking, system connectivity, and basic cybersecurity concepts.

· Experience supporting manufacturing equipment during greenfield or large-scale facility startup projects.

· Ability to work onsite full time with flexibility to support off-hours or weekend activities as project demands require.

Compensation for the Automation Engineer:

Salary Range: $155,000-$175,000/year

Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, sick leave if required by law, and 401K

This job opens for applications on 4/8/26. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date.

Keywords: automation engineer, fill finish, pharmaceutical manufacturing, PLC programming, SCADA, MES, IT OT integration, industrial automation, controls engineering, packaging lines, serialization, vision systems, cybersecurity, data historian, system integration, commissioning, SAT, validation, process control, manufacturing systems, regulated environment, life sciences engineering, onsite automation support.

#LI-MB1 #LI-ONSITE