Sr Principal Engineer, Automation Projects

This is where  your work makes a difference. At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond. Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results. Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride.  Your role at Baxter In this role, you will provide engineering leadership and project management for manufacturing equipment that is designed and built internally by Baxter Engineering’s Process Automation team. You will lead automation projects from early concept through final design and implementation, using standard engineering principles to solve complex problems with input from the team. You will plan and lead project work, select appropriate engineering approaches, and ensure projects are completed safely, on time, and within budget. In addition to technical leadership, you will support documentation, provide guidance to technicians, and help train others on automation technologies.

The Engineering Process Automation team is a collaborative group that enjoys solving challenging problems that support patient needs. We work in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment and often need to adjust priorities to avoid production disruptions. The team values trust, teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement. Leadership supports learning and professional development.

Lead automation and capital equipment projects from concept through commissioning, defining scope, requirements, schedules, deliverables, and project goals. Develop User Requirement Specifications (URS), technical proposals, machine concepts, and detailed cost estimates for custom automated machinery and manufacturing systems. Manage project execution to ensure safety, quality, budget, and timeline objectives are achieved while tracking expenditures and controlling approved capital funding. Direct cross-functional teams including engineers, designers, technicians, manufacturing personnel, and external suppliers throughout design, procurement, fabrication, installation, and acceptance activities. Provide technical guidance during equipment assembly, integration, debugging, troubleshooting, testing, validation, and startup, maintaining a strong hands-on presence on the manufacturing floor. Oversee supplier and vendor performance to ensure equipment meets technical, quality, and delivery requirements. Investigate manufacturing and field performance issues, identify root causes, and implement sustainable equipment and process improvements. Develop and maintain technical documentation, including specifications, validation packages, operating procedures, and training materials. Foster collaboration across global manufacturing and engineering organizations to support project execution and technology deployment.

Bachelor of Science in Engineering is required; Mechanical Engineering is preferred. 8 or more years of engineering experience. Experience using mechanical CAD software (SolidWorks preferred). Experience working in an aseptic processing or cGMP manufacturing environment preferred Experience developing automated manufacturing equipment Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to lead and work within small, cross‑functional teams. Ability to develop solutions that balance technical performance, cost, and business needs. Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 20% of the time. We understand