Senior Applications Engineer, Manufacturing Systems IT

Role Summary

We are seeking a resourceful and collaborative Senior Applications Engineer, Manufacturing Systems IT to support the operational technology (OT) environment in our GMP manufacturing facility. This role blends hands-on troubleshooting with systems stewardship, ensuring our industrial PCs, servers, and related devices operate reliably, securely, and in compliance with regulatory expectations. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem-solver who balances quick action with careful consideration of the broader operational and compliance impacts of each change.

Responsibilities

• Manage and perform OS and hardware troubleshooting for industrial PCs, servers (physical and virtual), and related OT devices.
• Support industrial HMIs (e.g., PanelView) on OS/network aspects in partnership with Automation.
• Administer and maintain disk imaging, backup, and recovery processes for industrial PCs.
• Act as the primary OT network liaison, coordinating with corporate IT infrastructure to maintain VLANs, firewall rules, and network availability for manufacturing systems.
• Support and document GMP device management (e.g., GMP printers, GPS clock) with clear, audit-ready records.
• Author and maintain IT change control documentation; contribute detailed IT procedures to Automation-led GxP change controls when applicable.
• Partner with Automation to schedule and test system updates to ensure application compatibility.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective actions for IT-related incidents in manufacturing.
• Maintain and enhance documentation to ensure systems and processes are well-understood and sustainable.
• Build positive, trust-based relationships across manufacturing, engineering, and IT teams.
• Support patch management for manufacturing IT systems, including industrial PCs and servers; rebuild and maintain the patching program to ensure consistency, reliability, and compliance.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience of increasing responsibility supporting and managing manufacturing IT systems, or equivalent.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with a creative, solution-focused mindset.
• Experience with Windows Server and virtualization platforms (VMware preferred).
• Basic SQL skills and willingness to deepen knowledge as needed.
• Understanding of network fundamentals (VLANs, firewall rules, segmentation) and ability to collaborate with network engineers.
• Comfort working in regulated environments; GxP or GMP experience a plus, but not required if willing to learn.
• Ability to balance urgency with compliance considerations — knowing when to act quickly and when to pause for impact assessment.
• Strong documentation habits and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to coordinate across multiple teams and drive tasks to completion.
• Service-minded approach with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Work Environment

• Hybrid role: Approximately 3 days/week onsite in the manufacturing building, plus on-demand visits as needed.
• Regular M–F business hours, with rare after-hours on-call coverage every other week for manufacturing emergencies.
• Frequent remote support capability via secure access tools.
• Occasional work in cleanroom or production areas in compliance with site safety and gowning requirements.