Instrumentation Engineer

AbbVie - Worcester, MA

Full-time - Mid Level

Worcester, MA

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

The Instrumentation Engineer is responsible for the installation, setup, maintenance, and repair of field and bench-top instrumentation utilized in production manufacturing facilities. This role involves ensuring that instrumentation, whether standalone or interfaced with control systems, is properly specified, installed, programmed, and performs according to design specifications. The engineer will support the design, programming, and specification of equipment, as well as the implementation of project-related instrumentation and controls hardware. In this position, the engineer will apply their engineering experience to ensure compliance with applicable policies and procedures, while also conducting periodic assessments of instrument performance for potential replacements or upgrades. The goal is to maintain best-in-class equipment and instrumentation within the manufacturing facility. The engineer will troubleshoot analog and digital hardware-related issues on process control systems and instrumentation, including distributed control systems (DCS) and programmable logic controllers (PLC). Comfort with both low (24Vdc) and high (120V, 480V) systems is essential. Additionally, the engineer will assist calibration technicians in diagnosing instrument and hardware issues, complete new instrument setups, and conduct testing prior to releasing instruments to metrology for initial calibration. Familiarity with reading P&ID and troubleshooting electrical schematics is required, as well as knowledge of variable frequency drives (VFD) and servo drives, particularly with Allen-Bradley systems. The engineer should also be familiar with bus protocols such as HART, Foundation Fieldbus, DeviceNet, Profibus, and Ethernet IP. A working knowledge of analytical instrumentation, including High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography (GC), Mass Spectrometry (MS), and Ultra-Violet Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), is necessary, along with other types of industrial analytical instrumentation used in biologics manufacturing. The engineer will assist in developing functional specifications for controls programming on major equipment systems and must effectively communicate, document, and schedule all work activities. Maintaining instrumentation and controls equipment in a validated environment, including all GxP areas, is a critical responsibility, as is communicating the status of job activities to management and relevant personnel.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for compliance with applicable policies and procedures.
• Applies engineering experience to ensure that instrumentation and controls system hardware used in biologics manufacturing facilities are properly specified, installed, programmed, and performs per design.
• Conducts periodic assessments of instrument performance for replacement/upgrade.
• Maintains best in class equipment and instrumentation within the manufacturing facility.
• Troubleshoots analog/digital hardware related problems on process control systems and instrumentation, including DCS and PLCs.
• Assists calibration technicians in diagnosing instrument and hardware issues.
• Completes new instrument setup and testing prior to release to metrology for initial calibration.
• Reads P&ID and troubleshoots electrical schematics.
• Familiarity with setup and troubleshooting of VFD and/or Servo drives including Allen-Bradley is a plus.
• Familiarity with bus protocols such as HART, Foundation Fieldbus, DeviceNet, Profibus, and Ethernet IP.
• Working knowledge of analytical instrumentation such as HPLC, GC, MS, UV-Vis, and other types of industrial analytical instrumentation used in the manufacture of biologics.
• Assists engineering in development of functional specifications for controls programming on major equipment systems.
• Effectively communicates, documents, and schedules all work activities.
• Responsible for maintaining instrumentation and controls equipment in a validated environment including all GxP areas.
• Communicates the status of job activities to management and applicable production, maintenance, and engineering personnel.

Requirements

• Bachelor or Associate Degree in Engineering Discipline, or 8-10 years minimum experience in Industrial or Military Setting with Process Instrumentation such as Pressure, Temperature, Weight, Analytical (pH, DO, Conductivity), Level, and UV.
• ISA CCST Certification Level 1 or 2 is a plus.
• Previous experience working with calibration of instrumentation (Pressure/Temperature/Flow/etc.) preferred.
• Knowledge of biologics manufacturing process is a plus.
• Working knowledge of CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) such as Maximo.
• Strong PC skills along with ability to utilize many different software applications and interfaces in the programming and configuration of instrumentation.
• Ability to manage activities to meet restrictive timelines.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of validated systems, applicable engineering standards, and facility specific software applications is preferred.
• Ability to work within and promote a team environment.

Nice-to-haves

• Familiarity with setup and troubleshooting of VFD and/or Servo drives including Allen-Bradley.
• Knowledge of biologics manufacturing process.

Benefits

• Paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick)
• Medical/dental/vision insurance
• 401(k) to eligible employees
• Participation in short-term incentive programs.