Chief Engineer – Pharmaceutical Freeze Drying & Lyophilization Systems
Location: Tonawanda, NY
Permanent
Compensation
- Salary: $82,000 – $115,000 annually
- Annual Performance Bonus
Descriptions:
Join a global leader in pharmaceutical processing equipment, where innovation, precision, and quality drive everything we do. We design and manufacture pharmaceutical freeze dryers (lyophilizers) and aseptic processing systems used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers worldwide.
These custom-engineered capital equipment systems combine process vessels, vacuum systems, refrigeration, instrumentation, automation, and clean utility interfaces to support sterile drug manufacturing and regulated freeze-drying processes. If you're an experienced engineer with expertise in pharmaceutical lyophilization systems and complex process equipment, we'd love to hear from you.
Position Summary
As the Chief Engineer, you'll serve as the technical lead for pharmaceutical capital equipment projects valued between $1 million and $10 million, guiding projects from engineering design through testing while ensuring compliance with customer User Requirements Specifications (URS), project schedules, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.
Working closely with customers, vendors, project managers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams, you'll coordinate engineering activities, oversee technical documentation, resolve complex technical challenges, and help deliver highly customized pharmaceutical processing systems.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Lead the engineering execution of pharmaceutical freeze dryer (lyophilizer) and aseptic processing equipment projects from design through Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT).
- Prepare, review, and approve engineering documentation including Functional Specifications (FS), Functional Requirement Specifications (FRS), Hardware Design Specifications (HDS), Process & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), General Arrangements (GA), Interface Control Documents (ICD), engineering verification documentation, and related technical deliverables.
- Ensure equipment designs meet customer User Requirements Specifications (URS), project quality standards, contractual requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Coordinate engineering activities across multidisciplinary teams to support successful system integration and project execution.
- Lead engineering design reviews, resolve technical issues, and support troubleshooting during equipment testing and engineering verification.
- Serve as the primary engineering contact for customers, vendors, project managers, and internal engineering teams throughout the project lifecycle.
- Identify engineering scope changes, evaluate technical impacts, and support project planning, scheduling, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Promote compliance with Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality (SHEQ) standards throughout project execution.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
- Minimum 6 years of engineering experience with pharmaceutical lyophilization systems, freeze dryers, or similar pharmaceutical process equipment.
- Strong understanding of pharmaceutical freeze-drying processes, equipment design, and system integration.
- Experience preparing and reviewing technical engineering documentation, including Functional Specifications (FS), P&IDs, and related project documentation.
- Strong technical problem-solving, organizational, project coordination, and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams on complex capital equipment projects.
- Familiarity with GAMP documentation and validation requirements.
- Experience working within regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.
- Knowledge of aseptic processing equipment.
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
- Life & Disability Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Tuition Assistance
- Professional Development & Continuous Learning Opportunities
- Collaborative, Innovative, and Global Work Environment
- Career Growth Opportunities
Please Note
This position requires direct engineering experience with pharmaceutical lyophilization (freeze-drying) systems. Candidates without hands-on experience designing, manufacturing, commissioning, or supporting pharmaceutical freeze dryers or lyophilization equipment are unlikely to meet the technical requirements of this role.
PrideGlobal and it's affiliates - including Russell Tobin, Pride Health, and Pride Nowoffers eligible employee's comprehensive healthcare coverage (medical, dental, and vision plans), supplemental coverage (accident insurance, critical illness insurance and hospital indemnity), 401(k)-retirement savings, life & disability insurance, an employee assistance program, legal support, auto, home insurance, pet insurance and employee discounts with preferred vendors.
Equal Employment Opportunity
PrideGlobal and it's affiliates - including Russell Tobin, Pride Health, and Pride Now are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of the race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, reproductive health decision making, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Fair Chance Employment
PrideGlobal and it's affiliates - including Russell Tobin, Pride Health, and Pride Now are a Fair Chance employer. We consider all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable state and local Fair Chance laws and ordinances, including, the California Fair Chance Act and all applicable local Fair Chance ordinances.
#PNOW
Pay: $82,000.00 - $115,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have at least 6 years of engineering experience working with pharmaceutical lyophilization (freeze-drying) systems or pharmaceutical freeze dryers?
Work Location: In person
