Engineer - Automation Engineering - AGV/AMR (Autonomous Guided Vehicles/Autonomous Mobile Robots)-Lilly Medicine Foundry

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us. 

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We're looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Organization and Position Overview

Lilly recently announced a $4.5 billion investment to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development. The first-ever facility of its kind, combining research and manufacturing in a single location, the Medicine Foundry will allow Lilly to further develop innovative solutions to optimize manufacturing processes and increase capacity for clinical trial medicines, while also reducing costs and environmental impact.

The Engineer - Automation Engineering (AGV/AMR) will work as a member of the Automation Engineering Department at Eli Lilly, Foundry. The engineer will provide automation support for the site's Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV) and Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) fleets, which move materials, intermediates, and finished goods across manufacturing, warehouse, and utility areas. Process Automation is core to delivering a right first time facility start up and continued support of ongoing manufacturing operations into the future.

The Engineer is also responsible for the productivity and mentorship of the employees with the purpose of ensuring that reliable and compliant automated material handling systems are used in the manufacturing at Foundry. Additionally, the Engineer serves as a key technical resource, partnering with material handling vendors, System Integrators, warehouse operations, and other automation disciplines (Utilities, BMS, Tank Farm) to influence and implement the AGV/AMR fleet management strategy across the site.

In the project delivery phase and startup phase of the project (startup expected 2025 to 2028), automation engineering roles will be fluid and dynamic as we endeavor to support the project delivery, build a new organization, develop and implement the necessary systems and business processes required to support GMP operations, and build the site culture. This will require significant collaboration, creativity and resilience as the site grows to a full scale GMP manufacturing through start up.

Responsibilities

Key Objectives/Deliverables:

• Technical Leadership
• Mentor process control and material handling team members, including design, controls philosophy, implementation and commissioning of AGV/AMR systems
• AGV/AMR fleet management software implementation and coordination
• Develop and implement the Automation Engineering Project Plan for AGV/AMR deployment.

Operational Excellence

• Technically lead and oversee the work of Site Area leads and System Integrators for AGV/AMR fleet management systems including Functional Requirements, Design Specifications, fleet controller software, and Test Specifications
• Lead/Participate in design reviews and fleet management software reviews, attend equipment and software FATs/SATs for AGVs and AMRs
• Lead a team of automation engineers supporting AGV/AMR commissioning
• Provide periodic status updates to Project Management
• Devise functional requirements and traffic/navigation control strategies for AGV/AMR systems in collaboration with Warehouse and Process Engineering
• Fleet management software design, configuration and testing (routing logic, traffic management, charging/docking sequences, interlocks with facility systems)
• Automation engineering including integration, tuning and troubleshooting of AGV/AMR navigation, safety, and communication systems (LiDAR, SLAM, RFID/QR guidance, Wi-Fi mesh networks)
• Implement and support electronic systems (such as fleet management historians and dashboards) used to capture AGV/AMR performance and production data
• Maintain the validated state of the site's AGV/AMR control systems in line with Lilly quality standards including the development and execution of validation strategies and associated documentation
• Automation support for capital projects including new product introductions and warehouse expansions
• Promote the use of AGV/AMR automation to improve material handling productivity, operational efficiency, and compliance
• Develop a 'network' of corporate contacts and vendor partners, leveraging AGV/AMR industry expertise when needed

Organizational Capability

• In coordination with automation and compliance consultants, set and reinforce standards for appropriate rigor in AGV/AMR automation work products
• Demonstrated initiative, good planning and organizational skills, ability to prioritize tasks, commitment to task completion and timelines
• Possess a keen technical curiosity and has demonstrated strong problem-solving skills and a desire for continuous improvement
• Demonstrated ability to influence peers and business partners
• Good written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Knowledge of GMP, regulatory requirements, computer system validation, and material handling safety standards

Basic Requirements:

• Minimum B.S. in Engineering or related and a minimum of 2+ years working experience in operations, or manufacturing, with exposure to automated material handling or robotics systems preferred.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.

Additional Preferences:

• Experience in design, development, commissioning and qualification of highly automated greenfield manufacturing sites utilizing AGV/AMR fleet management systems (e.g., Dematic, Vecna, Fetch/Zebra, Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), OTTO Motors, Seegrid, or similar platforms) and their integration with SCADA, DCS, and BMS systems (DeltaV, Rockwell, Siemens, Johnson Controls).

• Familiarity with AGV/AMR navigation technologies (LiDAR, SLAM, magnetic tape, wire guidance) and applicable industry safety standards (ANSI/ITSDF B56.5, ISO 3691-4).

• Experience in facilitating and driving decision-making at an organizational level.

• Experience in a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment highly preferred

Other Information:

• Current location Parkwood West-Indianapolis, IN
• Permanent location at the new Lilly Medicines Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana.

Lilly 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.

#WeAreLilly

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.  The anticipated wage for this position is

$66,000 - $171,600

Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

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