Principal Automation Engineer

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines.

Working at Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

Abbott Rapid Diagnostics is part of Abbott’s Diagnostics family of businesses, bringing together exceptional teams of experts and industry leading technologies to support diagnostic testing which provides important information for treatment and management of diseases and other conditions.

The position of Principal Automation Engineer is within our Infectious Disease Developed Markets business unit located in Westbrook, Maine. This role is responsible for supporting manufacturing processes, quality/cost savings initiatives and implementation of engineering principles while ensuring compliance with cGMP, quality and safety standards.

What You’ll Work On

• Responsible for managing equipment specification, acquisition and implementation.
• Leads automation equipment upgrade efforts related to safety, obsolescence, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Evaluates machine logic, electromechanical and process controls to troubleshoot equipment and drives to resolution.
• Mentors teams to identify root cause of manufacturing failures using structured problem solving. Applies root cause fixes to prevent recurrence.
• Conducts failure modes and effects analysis and evaluates manufacturing equipment risk.
• Completes complex projects based on comprehensive knowledge of manufacturing equipment and processes.
• Leads design of experiments, validation, completion of testing and analysis of data. Presents data to cross functional teams.
• Drives implementation of new methods or materials for continual improvement of quality and efficiency.
• Analyzes current equipment for process suitability and provides detailed plans for improvement.
• Creates and revises manufacturing documents, specifications, standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety instructions, validation protocols, risk assessments, and procedures and other technical documents to ensure compliant, efficient and safe procedures.
• Leads other engineers and technicians in developing solutions and improvements in materials, equipment, and process as necessary in addition to ensuring continual improvement, safety, and compliance.
• Manages cross functional project teams and coordinate activities.
• Contributes to the professional development of engineers and technicians.
• Provides training and process expertise for product processing in specific areas such as process development, tooling development, documentation, cleaning protocol, process characterization and validation.
• Initiates and leads to resolution of Quality Incidents and CAPA.
• Participates in teams as necessary and mentors junior engineers and maintenance technicians to ensure continual improvement, safety, and compliance.
• Considers safety, ergonomic, maintenance, and operator impact on manufacturing design.
• Interacts with the local Project Management Office on milestones and project status updates.
• Participates in site strategy meetings and planning.
• Provides expert level judgment and consulting across other Abbott…