Sr. Manufacturing Automation Engineer

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role: Sr. Manufacturing Automation Engineer

As a Sr. Manufacturing Automation Engineer , you will provide technical support and oversight for manufacturing process control systems. In this role, you will play a key role in strategic planning and execution of control system strategy, lifecycle management, and large-scale automation projects with a focus on safety, compliance, operational reliability, and continuous improvement. You will serve as a subject matter expert for automation technologies while partnering with cross-functional teams to deliver business value and support manufacturing operations.

Your Responsibilities:

• Lead and deliver complex automation and control system projects that support manufacturing operations, regulatory compliance, product supply, capacity expansion, and cost optimization.

• Serve as the site subject matter expert for control systems, data historians, dashboard development, alarming strategies, and overall automation lifecycle management.

• Support the selection, design, validation, implementation, and continuous improvement of automation solutions while balancing business, technical, and regulatory requirements.

• Provide technical leadership for project planning and execution, including resource coordination, contractor oversight, budget management, scheduling, risk mitigation, and project delivery.

• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Technical Services to troubleshoot production issues, analyze data, resolve technical challenges, and implement sustainable solutions.

• Evaluate and implement new technologies, develop technical standards and design specifications, and identify opportunities to improve productivity and business performance through automation.

• Develop, train, mentor, and influence site personnel and automation team members on control system best practices, compliance requirements, and effective use of automation systems, data, and tools while contributing to network-level automation initiatives.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: Bachelor's in Engineering (Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Control Systems, or related discipline)

• Required Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience working in automation engineering

• Top Skills: Strong automation engineering expertise, including PLC, HMI, vision system programming, control system alarming, and historian platforms such as Aveva PI / OSI PI (or similar platform). Proven project leadership and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, drive complex initiatives, and effectively resolve issues. Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with experience influencing cross-functional teams and mentoring others in automation best practices; experience with WIN911 (or other related industrial alarm notification and escalation platforms).

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (preferred qualifications):

• Experience working in a regulated manufacturing environment

• Experience with Rockwell and Siemens PLC platforms

• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced manufacturing environment

• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience

• Experience supporting 24-hour manufacturing operations

Additional Information:

• Location: Elwood, KS

• Schedule: Monday–Friday days; occasional evening and weekend support may be required to support the demands of a 24-hour operation

• Travel: Minimal travel required

• On-Call Support: Ability to provide backup 24-hour support as business needs require

Don’t meet every single requirement?

Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:

• Multiple relocation packages

• Competitive PTO

• 8-week parental leave

• 9 Employee Resource Groups

• Annual bonus offering

• Up to 6% 401K matching

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Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.