Technical Project Lead - Manufacturing Systems Integration

The Technical Project Lead provides onsite technical coordination and delivery support for the integration, testing, and startup of manufacturing systems. The role supports the project manager by coordinating three field resources and working with cross-functional teams, vendors, and site stakeholders to resolve technical issues and maintain alignment across system interfaces.

The scope includes SCADA, HMI virtualization, Remote Vendor Connection, MES, PI, SAP, peripheral devices, production machine testing, and ASRS. Production equipment PLCs are Allen-Bradley. SCADA HMIs use Rockwell software and thin clients connected to redundant virtual machine servers. The ASRS system is supplied by Swisslog.

This role combines technical systems integration leadership with onsite field coordination. It supports the project manager and focuses on day-to-day technical delivery and execution., Onsite Leadership and Coordination

• Coordinate the day-to-day work of field resources, including assigning activities, tracking progress, resolving field issues, and raising resource or schedule constraints to the project manager.
• Coordinate technical activities among Automation, IT/OT, MES, SAP, PI, infrastructure, network, cybersecurity, commissioning, quality, operations, vendors, and system integrators.
• Maintain an integrated view of system readiness, dependencies, open issues, and near-term field priorities; provide regular updates to the project manager.
• Identify technical, schedule, and coordination risks; recommend mitigations and escalate decisions as needed.

Systems Integration

• Coordinate integration and testing across SCADA, HMI virtualization, Remote Vendor Connection, MES, PI, SAP, production equipment, peripherals, and ASRS.
• Support integration of Allen-Bradley PLC-based equipment with Rockwell SCADA and virtualized HMI environments.
• Coordinate readiness and troubleshooting for thin clients, virtual machine servers, system redundancy, network connectivity, access, and required interfaces.
• Support Remote Vendor Connection readiness, including vendor access requirements, connectivity, approvals, and testing.
• Coordinate MES-to-equipment integration and testing, including equipment communications, status, commands, acknowledgements, and production data, as applicable.
• Support PI integration and data flows, including interfaces, tag mapping, connectivity, and data verification, as applicable.
• Coordinate printer and scanner integration and verify connectivity and functionality within MES and SAP workflows.
• Coordinate technical integration and testing with Swisslog for the ASRS, including interfaces with site systems and manufacturing operations.

Testing, Commissioning, and Turnover

• Support machine testing and startup by tracking prerequisites, coordinating vendor and site support, documenting issues, and driving actions through resolution.
• Review technical documents, interface requirements, test plans, test results, and turnover documentation; identify gaps and coordinate resolution.
• Support commissioning, qualification, and turnover in accordance with project procedures and site quality requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Automation, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• At least 5 years of experience delivering, integrating, testing, or commissioning automation or manufacturing systems in a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Experience working in a GMP-regulated environment is required. Candidates without pharmaceutical GMP experience do not meet the minimum qualifications.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley PLC-based equipment and Rockwell SCADA or HMI systems.
• Experience with virtualized HMI or SCADA environments, including thin clients and redundant virtual machine servers.
• Experience coordinating manufacturing system interfaces involving MES, SAP, PI or historian systems, and production equipment.
• Experience supporting peripheral integration, such as printers and scanners, with MES and SAP workflows.
• Experience coordinating onsite field resources and tracking daily execution, readiness, issues, and dependencies.
• Ability to understand system interfaces, identify integration gaps, coordinate troubleshooting, and drive actions to closure.
• Strong communication and organizational skills, including the ability to provide clear field updates and raise issues promptly.
• Relevant technical degree, associate degree, or equivalent practical experience in automation, controls, electrical engineering, information technology, or a related discipline.
• Ability to work onsite in the Columbus, Ohio area for the duration of the contract.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience integrating or supporting ASRS systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with PI/historian data integration, including tag mapping and data verification.
• Experience with MES-to-equipment integration and manufacturing system testing.
• Experience with Remote Vendor Connection solutions and related access, network, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Experience supporting system redundancy, virtualization, and high-availability architectures.
• Familiarity with commissioning, qualification, validation, change control, and turnover processes in GMP environments.
• Experience supporting production line startup, equipment acceptance testing, and issue resolution with OEMs and system integrators.