Job detail for Automation Engineer

Job Description

Does your heart beat faster for automation, IT issues, and working in a dynamic production environment? Do you want to use your technical expertise to contribute to a reliable production environment where medicines are packaged safely and efficiently? Then we would love to meet you.

For our production departments in Haarlem, we are looking for an: Automation Engineer

Welcome to our team

Welcome to Packaging Services. Our team consists of ten engineers with diverse backgrounds and experience levels. We enjoy helping new colleagues get started and believe that we learn the most by sharing knowledge and experience with each other.

Together, we ensure that the computer systems we use to package our medicines remain reliable, available, and future-proof. We resolve acute malfunctions, perform preventive maintenance, and realize improvement projects that contribute to an even more efficient production process. This ranges from small optimizations to complex technical challenges.

You will join a close-knit and collegial team where collaboration is central. In addition, you will work closely with operators, operational coaches, and other support teams who contribute daily to the successful packaging of medicines for patients worldwide.

About the role

As an Automation Engineer, you play a key role within the IPTs (Integrated Process Teams). You are responsible for the management, reliability, and continuity of the IT systems that are essential for our production and packaging processes.

You ensure that production colleagues can rely on a stable and robust IT environment so they can focus entirely on their work. To this end, you work intensively with other automation engineers, internal stakeholders, and external suppliers. Furthermore, you are the primary point of contact for IT-related issues and malfunctions within the department.

In addition to operational support, you are actively involved in projects. From initiation to delivery, you represent the department, monitor progress, coordinate actions, and make adjustments where necessary. Together with your colleagues, you realize sustainable solutions within an environment where quality, compliance, and regulations are central.

Because our production environment operates in a three-shift system, you will work in day shifts and also participate in an on-call rotation.

**Primary **

As an Automation Engineer, you are responsible for a reliable, robust, and future-proof IT environment on the production floor. Your duties include:

• Analyzing and resolving IT issues that impact the continuity, quality, and reliability of our production processes.
• Acting as the first point of contact for IT-related malfunctions and technical issues within the department.
• Facilitating sessions with colleagues and other departments, such as Technical Operations and the Global IT team, to arrive at effective and sustainable solutions.
• Actively sharing technical knowledge and expertise with technicians, operational managers, and colleagues within the team.
• Representing the department within projects and contributing to successful implementations of new systems, processes, and improvements.
• Providing input from a production perspective to project teams.
• Acting as a subject matter expert and advising on standards in the field of automation, including serialization processes.
• Actively participating in Global Communities of Practice, such as the global serialization team, and contributing to knowledge sharing and standardization.

**Other **

• Supporting automation projects within project teams, including drafting and reviewing scope, design, and qualification documentation, and supervising or performing tests.
• Managing one or more applications within the MES, Antares, and Systech domains.
• Providing support during audits and inspections.
• Managing IT systems according to the standard: System Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
• Monitoring local and international norms and standards in the field of process automation, such as GAMP, 21 CFR Part 11, and Data Integrity.

Your profile

• You have a completed Bachelor's degree (HBO), preferably in Electrical Engineering, Industrial Automation, Technical Business Administration, or a similar technical field.
• You preferably have knowledge of GMP guidelines and international IT standards.
• You have experience with networks, TCP/IP, and machine control systems.
• You have strong problem-solving skills and experience with analytical methods for root cause analysis, for example from Lean.
• You possess good project management skills, can set priorities, and make well-considered trade-offs even under time pressure.
• You have good communication skills in both Dutch and English and can communicate effectively at different levels within the organization.
• Knowledge of SAP is a plus.
• You find it easy to make contact and build strong working relationships.
• You are curious, eager to learn, and quickly master new techniques.

What we offer

Working at our organization means working together on health in an international work environment with dedicated colleagues. You get plenty of room to develop yourself and show who you are. Furthermore, you can count on attractive employment conditions, including:

• A competitive salary
• 35.5 vacation days
• 8% holiday allowance and 3% year-end bonus
• An excellent pension
• A high-quality company restaurant with fresh and healthy options every day.
• On-site sports facilities with classes in boxing, Zumba, and Pilates.
• Excellent coffee prepared by a professional barista.
• Game room with a pool table and a ping-pong table.
• Mental well-being support via Lyra Health for you and your family members.
• Access to a separate prayer/meditation room.

Do you have questions about this vacancy?

Send your question, including the vacancy number and the job title, to: RecruitmentNL@MSD.com.

Applications can only be submitted via our website.

Required Skills:

Audit Management, Business Process Improvements, Data Management, Problem Management, Quality Management, Real-Time Programming, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

10/28/2026

***A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.