Senior Automation Design Engineer (LSNA-PA/OH/IN/NC)

Automation Engineer

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

At Jacobs, we're not just building structures, we're helping our clients innovate and grow by designing, engineering, and executing the construction of their state-of-the-art facilities that are changing our world. We push the limits of what's possible to make the world smarter, more connected and more sustainable.

Become part of our team as an Automation Engineer in either Conshohocken, PA/Cincinnati, OH/Cary, North Carolina/Indianapolis, IN locations and you'll have the chance to work on projects including state-of-the-art institutional and commercial facilities.

The Senior Automation Design Engineer is a highly experienced automation professional who drives the architectural and detailed design of industrial automation solutions across regulated manufacturing environments. This role is intentionally design-focused and requires a minimum of 8 years of hands-on project delivery experience prior to transitioning into a lead design role.

The individual will be responsible for defining automation strategies, system architectures, standards, and design deliverables across multiple platforms and technologies, ensuring compliance with GMP, GAMP 5, ISA-88, and ISA-95. The position works closely with stakeholders across engineering, IT, manufacturing, quality, and validation to ensure automation solutions are robust, scalable, and fit for regulated production environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Automation Architecture & Design

• Lead the end-to-end design of automation systems, from conceptual and front-end engineering through detailed design and handoff to implementation teams.

• Develop automation architecture standards.

• Define system topologies including PLC, DCS, MES, Historian, ERP integration, networks, servers, and thin-client architectures.

• Translate business and user requirements into technical automation design specifications, including functional design specifications (FDS) and architecture diagrams.

Compliance & Validation Support

• Ensure automation designs are compliant with GAMP 5 principles and support a risk-based validation approach.

• Collaborate with Quality and Validation teams to ensure systems are inspection-ready and documentation supports IQ/OQ/PQ execution.

• Embed data integrity, audit trail, security, and lifecycle management principles into all designs.

Digital & Advanced Technologies

• Incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics opportunities into automation designs where appropriate (e.g., predictive maintenance, process optimization).

• Define data flows and architectures that support manufacturing intelligence and digital transformation initiatives.

Infrastructure & Networking

• Design industrial network architectures including segmentation, redundancy, cybersecurity considerations, and IT/OT integration.

• Specify and design server, virtualization, and thin-client environments to support control system applications.

• Collaborate with IT teams to ensure alignment with corporate infrastructure and cybersecurity standards.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to project engineers and other design disciplines.

• Act as the primary technical interface between project design teams, vendors, OEMs, and internal stakeholders.

• Support project planning, risk identification, and technical decision-making during project execution.

Here's what you'll need

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (Electrical, Automation, Controls, Computer, or related discipline) or equivalent job experience in lieu of degree.

• Minimum 8 years of experience delivering industrial automation projects in regulated manufacturing environments before transitioning into a design-focused role.

• Demonstrated experience designing large-scale automation systems rather than solely implementing them.

• Hands-on experience with multiple automation platforms, including:

o Emerson DeltaV, Siemens automation systems and Rockwell automation systems

Ideally you'll also have:

• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or other highly regulated GMP industries.

• Previous role as a Lead Engineer, Automation Architect, or Technical Authority.

• Experience developing automation standards and reusable design patterns.

• Strong documentation and communication skills.

• Strong systems-level thinking with attention to detail.

• Ability to balance compliance, standardization, and innovation.

• Collaborative mindset with the confidence to make and defend technical design decisions.

• Passion for automation design excellence and continuous improvement.

Posted Salary Range: Minimum 110,600.00 Posted Salary Range: Upper 185,000.00

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $110,600.00 to $185,000.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on April 24, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we're keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.

Locations

Cincinnati - Ohio - United States

Cary - North Carolina - United States

Indianapolis - Indiana - United States

Conshohocken - Pennsylvania - United States