AbbVie Posted June 16, 2026

Associate Principal Automation Engineer

Branchburg, NJ Full-time
Manufacturing & CMC Principal

AbbVie is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Company Description

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at  www.abbvie.com . Follow @abbvie on  LinkedIn,   Facebook ,  Instagram ,  X  and  YouTube.

Job Description

Responsible for the design, implementation, integration and maintain automation systems across manufacturing operations. Responsible for moderate to complex configuration and programming of Operation Technology (OT) Systems as per AbbVie change management procedures for  the manufacturing process, utilities and Facilities Control Systems. This role is responsible for leading small to medium-sized automation projects to assure project is implemented as per project schedule. This role provides technical support and system troubleshooting for systems and\or areas assigned to this position. Responsible for the administration and maintenance of assigned OT systems as per applicable departmental procedures.

Responsibilities

•Develops moderate to complex control configuration or programming in accordance with design documents to meet functional requirements.

•Acts as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Automation Applications, leading the design and deployment of automated visual systems, aggregation, and other track and trace systems on packaging and manufacturing lines.

•Integrates vision inspection technologies (cameras, lighting, optics) with track and trace hardware (printers, scanners) to form a cohesive quality and identification system.

•Ensures seamless data flow and integration from vision and track-and-trace systems to control systems (PLCs, printers, scanners) and enterprise-level software (ERP or MES).

•Leads the development and execution of OT Systems lifecycle deliverables, including validation activities and associated documentation like System Functional and Design Specifications.

•Evaluates and implements new tools for OT Systems administration and maintenance, such as operating system (OS) and antivirus updates, user account management, and critical data backup.

•Establishes project management techniques to monitor, report on, and control automation projects according to size and criticality (small to medium projects). Supports capital projects when automation expertise is required.

•Coordinates and develops schedules with supply chain and operations to perform or support maintenance and other system changes during off-peak hours, which may require overtime, overnight, or weekend work. Conforms to EHS management system requirements and compliance obligations, promotes continuous improvement, and considers EHS aspects during the design and change process.

•Provides training for OT Systems Users and Engineers in new automation technologies and process control applications.

•Diagnoses and troubleshoots OT System hardware, software, and networking issues, replace defective components as needed. Responsible for implementing and validating OT systems upgrades and data migrations for DCS, PLC’s, SCADA, and Data Historian systems. Conform to EHS management system requirements and compliance obligations, promote continuous improvement, and consider EHS aspects during the design and change process. Complies with all EHS procedures and policies including incident reporting.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline with a minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience required. Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline with a minimum of four (4) years of relevant experience.

Working experience administering and/or configuring of Distributed Control Systems (DCS) such as Emerson DeltaV, Foxboro I/A.

Working experience with SCADA and PLCs (such as Allen-Bradley ControlLogix), programming in ladder logic and instructional texts.

Experience with commissioning and qualification activities, including computerized systems validation.

Solid understanding of pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing processes, including operational best practices and regulatory expectations.

Industry experience exposure to FDA, GMP, 21CFR11, Data Integrity, Safety and Environmental legislation.

Preferred:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering is Highly Desired

(6) years of experience with Automation Equipment specifically in SCADA and PLC programming in ladder logic and instructional texts is Highly Desired

Experience with HMI graphics development and management is Desired

Experience administering and/or configuring a data historian system is Desired

Additional Information

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law: ​

The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this roleat  the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on manyfactors  including  geographic location, and we may ultimately  pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be  modified in the future. ​

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.​

This job is eligible to  participate in our short-term incentive programs. ​

Note: No amount of pay is  considered to be wages or compensation until such amount isearned,  vested,  and determinable. The amount and availability of  any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that areallocable to a   particular employee  remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be  modified at the Company’s sole and absolutediscretion,  consistent with applicable law.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community.  Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit  https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html

Job details

Seniority
Principal
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Branchburg, NJ
Employment type
Full-time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 393 comparable Principal Manufacturing & CMC roles across 56 biopharma companies.

393Comparable roles tracked
368Currently active
56Companies hiring similar roles
19Countries represented

Salary context

188 of 393 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $96,500/yr – $183,500/yr
Lowest disclosed · Senior Scientist II – CMC Developmental Sciences · AbbVie $0/hr – $0/hr (≈ $0–$0/yr)
Highest disclosed · Director, Global Automation Engineering · AbbVie $182,000/yr – $346,000/yr
Peer group range $0 – $264,000 (median $150,600)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 393 comparable roles

United States282
India42
Singapore10
Ireland9
Netherlands7
Switzerland6

+ 13 more countries

Seniority mix

393 of 393 peers have a known seniority level

Senior251
Principal78
Director64

Therapeutic area mix

2 of 393 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology1
Vaccines & Infectious Disease1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

60%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Principal
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Louisville, Colorado, United States of America Principal
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Principal
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America Principal
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Principal
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Principal
Same function Same seniority Same country

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
Senior/Principal Scientist, Bioprocess Purification Development
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Senior Principal Scientist, Analytical Sciences
Lilly · Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Sr. Principal or Engineering Advisor - Agentic Lab Automation Integration
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Principal Scientist, Downstream Process Development
Merck · Rahway, New Jersey, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.