Automation Engineer (Manufacturing Support)

Company overview

CAI is a professional services firm founded in 1996 that has expanded steadily to nearly 800 team members across the world. It supports life sciences and mission-critical organizations that must deliver high-stakes solutions, helping them reach operational readiness faster and perform at a very high standard through disciplined methods, proven field practices, and deep expertise built over three decades.

The organization is guided by a clear purpose: to be a dependable partner for clients working to create a better workplace and improve the human experience. Its core principles are to act with integrity, serve one another, serve society, and build for the future.

CAI emphasizes excellence, innovation, and a willingness to challenge conventional ways of working. The company combines technical knowledge with technology and a human-centered mindset, with a strong focus on precision, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

Role summary

The Automation Engineer (Manufacturing Support) will provide technical automation assistance to GMP manufacturing and laboratory operations in a biopharmaceutical production setting. This position is centered on supporting, maintaining, troubleshooting, and enhancing automated systems and lab equipment so that operations remain dependable, compliant, and efficient.

The engineer will serve as the subject matter expert for automation systems and will contribute to equipment qualification, system testing, and the rollout of new equipment across manufacturing and quality control laboratories.

Responsibilities

• Deliver daily automation support for manufacturing and laboratory systems.
• Diagnose and resolve automation faults affecting production processes and QC laboratory equipment.
• Assist with qualification activities and automation readiness for laboratory and QC equipment.
• Act as the automation specialist for new equipment introductions, including testing, setup, and commissioning support.
• Support change control activities related to automation across manufacturing and laboratory platforms.
• Look into automation-related deviations and help implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Work closely with Manufacturing, QC, Engineering, Validation, QA, and IT teams to keep systems compliant and running smoothly.
• Contribute to commissioning, qualification, and startup work for new equipment and automation systems.
• Ensure automation solutions meet GMP and data integrity expectations.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Automation, Electrical, Electronic, or Computer Engineering, or a closely related field.
• At least 3 years of automation engineering experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or other regulated manufacturing environment.
• Background in supporting manufacturing automation systems and laboratory or QC equipment.
• Experience handling or supporting change control processes within a GMP setting.
• Strong diagnostic thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Preferred: experience with biopharmaceutical manufacturing equipment.
• Preferred: exposure to equipment qualification and validation work.
• Preferred: working knowledge of GMP, GAMP5, and data integrity requirements.
• Must be able to work on site and commit to a minimum 40-hour work week, with flexibility depending on project demands.

Additional information

This is a permanent, full-time, site-based position located in Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland.

An artificial intelligence tool may be used to support parts of the hiring process, including application review, resume analysis, or response assessment. These tools assist the recruitment team but do not replace human judgment, and final hiring decisions are made by people. For more information about data processing, candidates may contact the company directly.

Work setting

This is an onsite role in Limerick.