Job Description

Specialist, Manufacturing Automation

The Operations Orchestration product team (OOPT) focuses on building and sustaining digital products for shopfloor operations management. This product line encompasses two key capabilities: Finite Scheduling and Manufacturing Productivity. These capabilities are essential for the optimized operation of the shop floor and provide enhanced visibility of the status of the production process.  Operations Orchestration operates within the Manufacturing Value Team (MVT) of Digital our Manufacturing Division.

Our product team is expanding rapidly to meet increasing demand for Finite Scheduling capabilities across the worldwide our Manufacturing Division network.  As such, we are recruiting for Specialists who will be responsible for developing and maintaining manufacturing process models in the RTMS platform.   These roles will work closely with other OOPT and site personnel to successfully deliver scheduling and capacity analysis models in accordance with defined requirements and objectives. 

The Specialists will participate on new deployments as well as provide ongoing operational support at existing our Manufacturing Division sites.  Duties will include model configuration, testing, and documentation, along with responding to support and enhancement requests from site schedulers. 

Because our team has global reach, the roles will collaborate with team members across multiple timezones (CET, GMT, and US Eastern) and therefore require the ability to adjust working hours to facilitate this remote collaboration.  In addition, clear and effective written communication is essential for success in these roles.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and/or modify process models for Drug Substance, Drug Product and Packaging operations using discrete event simulation

• Provide technical support for process optimization analysis, such as debottlenecking, capacity analyses, and what if analysis for manufacturing operations

• Assist technical OOPT members with data analysis for manufacturing system integrations and the debugging/testing of data interfaces using SQL. 

• Provide customer support for the RTMS platform. This includes troubleshooting, escalating, and resolving issues reported by the users at the different sites

• Use of agile tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence) and methodologies (e.g. sprints) to deliver defined product increments

• Delivery in accordance with defined scope/time/acceptance criteria

Required Education and Experience:

• B.S. in Science/Engineering or equivalent technical field with 5-7 years of relevant experience.

• Demonstrated experience in mathematical modeling and at least one programming/scripting language (e.g. C/C++, Matlab, Python, R, C#, Java).

• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical personnel to achieve the desired outcomes

• Excellent, proactive written communication, coupled with the ability to divide assigned tasks into smaller increments to leverage the timezone differences across the team.  For example, the ability to receive written feedback on a task from a colleague/customer working overnight, and then work independently to address the feedback and reply in writing so that the colleague/customer can review the completed task when their work hours resume. 

• Strong analytical problem-solving skills and ability to work independently within the role’s defined responsibilities.  For example, although these roles work in collaboration with other technical team members, success will require the ability to proactively and independently overcome obstacles.  Successful candidates should be prepared to apply their full expertise to situations and take appropriate initiative to solve problems.   

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a globally dispersed team

• Practice in Agile Methodology and Continuous Improvement and with a Digital & Innovative mindset

• Expertise in authoring and executing technical documentation following industry standards and methodologies (SDLC, AGILE)

• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills with a sense of ownership, enthusiasm, and innovation

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Process Manufacturing expertise, preferably in the pharmaceutical industry

• Prior experience as an industrial engineer or simulation developer, for example with a design engineering and/or A&E firm using discrete event simulation in the pharma industry is strongly preferred;  prior experience as an automation/controls developer in pharma or an adjacent process industry is an advantage

• Familiarity with manufacturing scheduling, discrete event simulation, finite state machines, and associated algorithms

• Experience using SQL to query and analyze datasets, including metrics/KPI calculation

• Knowledge of manufacturing systems such as PAS-X MES, Aveva PI, etc.

Our Manufacturing & Supply Division is dedicated to being the most trusted supplier of biopharmaceuticals worldwide. Our facilities, along with our external contractors, suppliers, and partners, create a reliable global manufacturing network that’s devoted to delivering a high-quality, reliable supply to customers and patients on time, every time. 

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

04/1/2025

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