Sr. Principal Process Engineer

This is where your work makes a difference.At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond.Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results.Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride. Your role at BaxterThis is where your expertise helps people.In this role, you will support process and automation improvements within a manufacturing site. You will collaborate with Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, and Quality to drive improved performance of production equipment. You will be responsible for delivering equipment that supports process reliability, Industry 4.0 initiatives, and plant-wide efficiency, while ensuring process design and operation consistently meet Engineering and Quality standards.What you'll be doingSupport daily operations by improving control systems, addressing obsolescence, and increasing equipment reliability.Develop and implement improvement strategies aligned with site priorities and long‑term business objectives.Troubleshoot and optimize automated equipment to boost throughput, uptime, and repeatability.Map process flows and critical control points to enable data‑driven decision‑making.Advance digital transformation through automation, data integration, and Industry 4.0 technologies.Use Lean, Six Sigma, and statistical tools to remove bottlenecks and enhance process capability.Lead or support root‑cause analysis and problem‑solving for project‑specific challenges.Execute continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, and operational efficiency.Develop and update SOPs, protocols, and work instructions to align with process and equipment changes.Lead NCR/CAPA investigations and drive effective corrective and preventive actions.Manage change controls for equipment and process modifications.Deliver training and provide ongoing technical support to production teams.Act as an SME for equipment troubleshooting and process performance improvements.Guide cross‑functional teams and vendors while providing technical leadership on complex engineering initiatives.Direct oversight of employees.What you'll bringBachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, or related field preferred).Must not be allergic to Penicillin/Cephalosporin.8+ years of relevant engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.Onsite, fulltime role with less than 10% travel.Strong understanding of regulatory compliance, safety standards, and validation practices.Demonstrated success with automation platforms, including Optimize automated systems for high reliability, minimal operator intervention, and stable performance across varying production conditions.Proven ability to reduce human error by simplifying interfaces, designing fail‑safes (poka‑yoke), and creating processes that naturally guide correct actions.Experience improving alarm nuance alerts by eliminating nuisance alerts, prioritizing actionable alarms, and using data to enhance operator response and situational awareness.Strong technical capability across motion control, VFDs, pneumatics/hydraulics, plus mechanical aptitude; experience with Serialization and SCADA is a plus.Experience applying structured risk‑reduction tools (FMEA, failure‑mode prevention), Industry 4.0 technologies (AI vision, robotics), and methodologies like Six Sigma, DFSS, and VOC.We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices. The estimated base salary for this position is $128,000 - $176,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than of the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based on upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses. For questions about this, our pay philosophy, and available benefits, please speak to the recruiter if you decide to apply and are selected for an interview.Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance. Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching. We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave. Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits. Join us and enjoy the competitive compensation and benefits we offer to our employees. For additional information regarding Baxter US Benefits, please speak with your recruiter or visit our Benefits site: Benefits | BaxterEqual Employment OpportunityBaxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is IllegalReasonable AccommodationsBaxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.Recruitment Fraud NoticeBaxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice.SummaryLocation: Round Lake, IllinoisType: Full time