Decommissioning Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Decommissioning Engineer – Facilities & Utilities
Location: North Chicago, IL
Industry: Pharmaceutical
Employment Type: 12+ Month Contract / On-Site
Pay: $60–$70/hr
Benefits: PTO, paid holidays, BCBS medical plans, dental/vision plans, 401(k), & ESOP
Schedule:  Monday–Friday, On-Site 5 Days/Week

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Decommissioning Engineer to support facility, utility, and equipment decommissioning activities at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. This individual will be responsible for planning and executing decommissioning workstreams, evaluating system dependencies, coordinating cross-functional activities, and ensuring equipment and systems are safely and compliantly removed from service. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of facility and utility infrastructure, particularly HVAC and water systems, and the ability to evaluate how the retirement of individual assets may impact connected equipment, controls, utilities, documentation, and operating areas.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and execution of facility, utility, and equipment decommissioning activities.
• Develop decommissioning plans, scopes, sequencing, and associated change-control documentation.
• Evaluate existing systems to identify equipment, utility, electrical, controls, and facility dependencies prior to shutdown or removal.
• Support the decommissioning of HVAC systems, AHUs, VAVs, VFDs, water systems, pumps, piping, and associated facility infrastructure.
• Review P&IDs, mechanical drawings, equipment drawings, utility drawings, and other engineering documentation to understand system boundaries and interfaces.
• Coordinate isolation, shutdown, retirement, and removal activities with Engineering, Facilities, Maintenance, EHS, Quality, Validation, Manufacturing, Automation/Controls, and contractors.
• Identify potential impacts to active manufacturing, laboratory, facility, and utility systems before decommissioning activities begin.
• Conduct field walkdowns and verify existing equipment and system conditions.
• Identify decommissioning risks, gaps, and system conflicts and develop appropriate mitigation plans.
• Coordinate updates to drawings, equipment records, asset databases, maintenance systems, and other impacted documentation.
• Ensure decommissioning activities comply with site procedures, safety requirements, GMP requirements, and applicable change-control processes.
• Provide technical direction to site personnel, contractors, and other project stakeholders.
• Independently drive assigned decommissioning workstreams from planning through final closeout.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred.
• 5+ years of engineering experience within pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, chemical, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
• Strong experience with facility and utility systems, particularly HVAC and water infrastructure.
• Working knowledge of AHUs, VAVs, VFDs, pumps, piping, electrical distribution, controls/BMS, and associated facility systems.
• Experience with equipment or facility decommissioning, shutdowns, demolition, facility modifications, or brownfield projects strongly preferred.
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, mechanical drawings, utility drawings, and equipment documentation.
• Understanding of GMP environments, change control, engineering documentation, and safe equipment isolation.
• Strong field coordination, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to independently manage workstreams and coordinate across multiple site functions and contractors.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.