Automation Engineer​/Automation Project Manager

Automation Engineer/Automation Project Manager

Maryland

Join a company where your skills and passion can make a real difference. At A-BIO we are looking for driven individuals who want to grow their expertise, help us expand, and contribute to improving the lives of patients worldwide. If you are ready to be part of a team that values growth, collaboration, and meaningful work, we would love to hear from you!

A-BIO is an owner's representative consulting firm focused on project management and technical services within the technical operations of biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Our clients range from start-up cell and gene therapy companies to multi-national major pharmaceutical companies, with projects spanning the construction, retrofit, and operations of biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. A-BIO has been serving the life sciences sector since 2014, leveraging decades of owner's-side experience to identify the right resources and expertise to support client needs — from concept through operational readiness.

As an Automation Engineer / Automation Project Manager at A-BIO, you will be at the intersection of two critical disciplines — deep technical expertise in industrial automation and controls, and the project leadership skills to drive complex initiatives from concept through commissioning in cGMP-regulated environments.

In this role, you will serve as A-BIO's owner's representative on client engagements, bridging the gap between process needs and automation design. You will work directly with client teams across Manufacturing, Engineering, Validation, and Facilities while managing system integrators, vendors, and contractors to ensure project delivery meets the highest standards of quality, compliance, and performance. Whether leading a full automation project lifecycle or providing embedded technical support to a client's internal team, you will bring both hands-on controls knowledge and a project manager's discipline to every engagement.

This position supports client projects in the Maryland area, with the opportunity to work across diverse biopharma modalities including mAbs, gene therapy, cell therapy, and vaccines.

• Lead or support automation projects through all phases — conception, design, implementation, qualification, and operational readiness — ensuring alignment with client goals and cGMP requirements.
• Develop automation project and user requirements in close collaboration with client personnel across Automation, Manufacturing, Engineering, Validation, and Facilities groups.
• Perform project management and controls functions: define scope, develop and manage schedules, track budgets, manage risk registers, and report project status to client leadership and stakeholders.
• Serve as owner's representative — manage system integrators, vendors, and contractors, ensuring deliverables meet technical, quality, and schedule requirements.
• Enforce A-BIO and client standards for automation engineering across all contractor and integrator activities.
• Partner with selected integrators to establish project execution governance including team structure, RACI, meeting cadence, and project execution plans.
• Facilitate project team meetings, drive effective communication, and manage cross-functional teams including resources without a direct reporting relationship.
• Proactively identify project risks and issues, devise mitigation strategies, and escalate critical concerns to stakeholders when necessary.

• Effectively translate process and cGMP manufacturing needs and best practices into automation design, serving as the liaison between client technical teams and system integrators.
• Specify automation hardware and software — including PLCs, DCS platforms, HMIs, SCADA systems, instrumentation, VFDs, and communication networks — ensuring alignment with site standards.
• Review, author, and manage automation documentation including Functional Requirements Specifications (FRS), Software Design Specifications (SDS), control narratives, User…