Introduction to role:
Are you ready to turn engineering insight and digital modelling into decisions that strengthen a global manufacturing network and improve patient access? Based in College Park, Dublin, this senior role operates at a strategic level, setting technical direction for process engineering, facility fit and capacity modelling, and data-driven decision support across internal and external manufacturing sites.
You will lead high-impact evaluations that shape sourcing strategies, capital investments, technology transfers, and new product introductions. Working across Operations, Engineering, IT, Automation, Digital, and site-based teams, you will define how digital tools and engineering assessments drive robust business decisions and future manufacturing capability. Can you see yourself translating complex models into clear, confident recommendations that accelerate supply reliability for medicines that matter?
Accountabilities:
- Network Capability and Process Fit: Provide strategic technical leadership in assessing manufacturing capability and commercial process fit across Drug Substance (DS), Drug Product (DP), Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), Finished Product (FP), and packaging operations.
- Facility Fit, Capacity and Process Evaluations: Lead complex facility fit, capacity, and process evaluations to support strategic sourcing decisions, network planning, technology transfers, process scale-up, capital investments, and commercial manufacturing improvements.
- Cross-Functional Initiatives: Lead complex, high-impact initiatives spanning manufacturing, technical operations, digital, and engineering to improve process understanding, manufacturing readiness, and network performance.
- Early Engagement for New Products: Lead the early engagement process for new product introductions into internal manufacturing sites, ensuring robust technical assessment of process requirements, manufacturing fit, digital readiness, and operational implications.
- Advanced Modelling Tools Champion: Champion the use of modelling platforms such as ARK Biotech, BioSolve, and BaseTwo to strengthen process understanding, evaluate manufacturing capability, support scenario modelling, and improve business decision-making.
- Modelling Standards and Methods: Set technical direction for modelling approaches to ensure assessments are scientifically sound, scalable, and aligned to business needs.
- Digital Standards and Best Practices: Define standards and best practices for digital modelling, facility fit assessments, process economics, and engineering evaluation methods, with particular focus on capacity models, facility fit models, process economics, and computational tools.
- Excel-Based Engineering Models: Apply advanced Excel-based modelling capability to develop capacity, mass balance, Cost of Goods (COGs), utilities, and wastewater models that produce transparent, decision-ready outputs.
- Digital Tool Deployment: Partner closely with IT, Automation, Digital, and site teams to identify, evaluate, and implement digital tools that provide measurable business value and align with enterprise standards and long-term digital strategy.
- Subject Matter Expertise: Act as a recognized expert in process modelling, COGs, facility fit, and process engineering methodologies, providing technical direction and guidance across the network.
- Mentorship and Training: Mentor and develop junior engineers and technical colleagues, build modelling capability, and grow an internal SME community.
- Mass Balance and COGs Analysis: Lead and perform mass balance and COGs assessments across DS, DP, API, and FP processes spanning technology transfer, scale-up, characterization, network strategy, and major improvements.
- Supply Chain Planning Support: Provide process engineering and modelling input to scenario planning, capacity analysis, and strategic sourcing decisions in long-range planning.
- Basis of Design and Technical Assessments: Develop high-quality Basis of Design and other technical assessments to support business cases, project prioritization, investment decisions, and strategic planning.
- Optimization and Capacity Improvement: Identify and support process optimization and capacity improvement opportunities across biologics, small molecule, device combination products, utilities, wastewater, and packaging.
- Best Practice Standardization: Identify manufacturing best practices and lead or contribute to initiatives that standardize and implement them to improve performance, consistency, and competitiveness.
- External Partner Interface: Interface with external CMO partners to assess technical capability, process fit, operational constraints, and future opportunities.
- Emerging Technology Assessment: Collaborate with process development teams to understand emerging manufacturing technologies and assess applicability, scalability, and value within the network.
Essential Skills/Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- Significant experience in Process Engineering, Manufacturing Operations, Technical Support, or Equipment Engineering within a biopharmaceutical or pharmaceutical environment.
- Strong technical expertise in process engineering with the ability to apply advanced engineering knowledge to complex manufacturing, facility, and network challenges.
- Demonstrated experience developing and applying process models to support technical and business decisions, including the use of digital twin, simulation modelling platforms.
- Advanced Excel capability, including the ability to build and maintain sophisticated engineering and business models for capacity, mass balance, COGs, utilities, and wastewater assessments.
- Strong understanding of digital tool deployment in a manufacturing environment, with the ability to work across technical, digital, and business teams to define needs and implement practical solutions that add measurable value.
- Strong collaboration and influencing skills, with proven ability to align stakeholders across IT, Automation, site engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and technical operations.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability, using data-driven analysis to evaluate options, quantify trade-offs, and recommend pragmatic solutions in complex and ambiguous environments.
- Knowledge of biological manufacturing processes, including drug substance and/or drug product operations.
- Strong knowledge of process engineering principles and standards used in cGMP manufacturing.
- Excellent technical writing, presentation, and training skills.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Highly organized and analytical, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities with a high degree of independence.
Desirable Skills/Experience:
- Experience working in technical engineering roles supporting Drug Substance and/or Drug Product manufacturing sites.
- Experience leading cross-site or network-level initiatives involving process modelling, capacity planning, digital tools, or manufacturing strategy.
Why AstraZeneca:
Join a team where the urgency of rare disease needs meets the rigor of world-class manufacturing. You will work with cutting-edge modelling tools and data, shoulder to shoulder with unexpected combinations of experts—from engineers and digital leaders to supply chain strategists—unleashing bold thinking in the same room. We blend the autonomy and entrepreneurial energy of a biotech with the scale and investment of a global organization, connecting your expertise to real patient impact. We value kindness alongside ambition, integrity alongside speed, and we empower you to shape the career you want while building a network capable of delivering life-changing medicines.
Call to Action:
If you’re ready to turn models into manufacturing momentum and shape a network that delivers where it truly counts, take the next step and lead from Dublin!
Date Posted
25-Sep-2026
Closing Date
07-Oct-2026
Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.
