Manufacturing Principal Engineer

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose - all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People. Manufacturing Excellence: Improve the efficiency, quality and consistency of core manufacturing processes, specifically execution and equipment effectiveness. Your role: As a Manufacturing Principal Engineer, you will be a technical thought leader, shaping strategy to support the digital transformation of manufacturing. You will be directly accountable for designing the digital backbone of our factories, ensuring our manufacturing and laboratory systems drive tangible business value, from improved batch yields to faster release times.You will shape the architectural vision and long-term roadmap for our Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Laboratory Execution Systems (LES), ensuring they are robust, compliant, and aligned with our "Smart Factory" ambitions. This role is for a seasoned expert who will set technical standards, mentor a team of engineers, and drive the evolution of our manufacturing ecosystem to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of the animal health and pharmaceutical industry. Your Responsibilities: Architectural Leadership: Design and own the architectural roadmap for Elanco's enterprise-wide MES/LES platforms. Your vision will ensure our systems are scalable for a global manufacturing network, compliant with international animal health regulations, and capable of supporting future technologies like continuous manufacturing and single-use systems. Lead initiatives to re-engineer critical manufacturing and lab processes (e.g., biologics, API, sterile fill-finish) through the strategic application of digital technology. You will identify opportunities to improve OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), reduce cycle times, and enhance data integrity. Establish and govern engineering standards and design patterns for MES/LES development, aligned with industry frameworks like GAMP 5. Act as the lead mentor and technical escalation point, fostering a culture of engineering excellence and knowledge sharing across the manufacturing systems team. Develop and oversee the global validation strategy for all manufacturing systems. You will ensure our platforms consistently exceed GxP standards and comply with specific regulations such as 21 CFR Part 11 and EU Annex 11, guaranteeing our systems are always "audit-ready". Serve as a trusted advisor to site and global leadership. You will translate complex technical capabilities into clear business cases, demonstrating the ROI and strategic value of investments in new manufacturing technologies. Proactively identify and evaluate emerging Pharma 4.0 trends (e.g., AI/ML for predictive maintenance, digital twins, advanced process control). You will lead proof-of-concept projects to assess their potential to drive significant business value for Elanco's manufacturing operations. What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications): Education: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering (e.g., Industrial, Chemical, Manufacturing, Computer Science) or a related technical field. Extensive Industry Experience: A significant and proven track record leading the design, implementation, and lifecycle management of complex MES/LES solutions within a large-scale pharmaceutical, biologics, or animal health manufacturing environment. Expert-level knowledge of industry-leading MES platforms (e.g., Werum PAS-X, Emerson Syncade, POMSnet) and their application in life science manufacturing, including electronic batch records (EBR) and review-by-exception. Demonstrated leadership in a highly regulated GxP environment, with deep expertise in pharmaceutical production processes (e.g., sterile/aseptic processing, vaccine manufacturing, quality control testing) and their associated data integrity requirements. Architectural and Strategic Thinking: Proven ability to develop multi-year technology roadmaps that align with business strategy and deliver measurable improvements in cost, quality, and speed. Knowledge of relevant DevSecOps concepts and tooling, including Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), Git SCM, Containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes), Infrastructure-as-Code (HashiCorp Terraform). Cloud Platform Proficiency: Practical experience with Public Cloud, specifically Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and their Automation services (e.g., Azure Logic Apps). Regulatory and Validation Expertise: Mastery of computer system validation (CSV) principles based on GAMP 5 and ASTM E2500. Direct experience successfully facing regulatory audits from agencies like the FDA, EMA, and USDA. Ability to articulate a compelling vision for manufacturing technology to diverse audiences, from shop-floor engineers to senior executive leadership.Location: Hook, UK - Hybrid Work Environment If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles! Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose CSR framework - all to advance the health of animals, people and the planet. Learn more at .