Co-Op Automation Engineer
About this opportunity
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at jnj.com .
As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual. At Johnson & Johnson, we respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.
Job Function:
Career Programs
Job Sub Function:
Non-LDP Intern/Co-Op
Job Category:
Career Program
All Job Posting Locations:
Wilson, North Carolina, United States of America
Job Description:
Location: Wilson, NC
Department: Automation / Execution Systems
Reports To: Site Automation Lead or Automation Engineering Manager
Position Type: Full-Time Co-op (6-Month Assignment)
Position Summary
The Automation Engineering Co-op will support the Site Automation organization in the implementation, maintenance, validation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing automation systems within a state-of-the-art , green field, biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility. The co-op will gain hands-on experience with industrial automation platforms, manufacturing execution systems, computerized systems validation, digital manufacturing technologies, and GMP-regulated processes.
This role provides a unique opportunity to work alongside automation engineers, manufacturing, quality, engineering, and IT teams while contributing to projects that support reliable, compliant, and efficient production operations.
Key Responsibilities
Support automation engineers in maintaining and improving manufacturing automation systems.
Assist with the development and execution of computerized system validation (CSV) documentation, including test scripts, traceability matrices, and validation reports.
Participate in Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and system commissioning activities.
Assist with troubleshooting and resolving issues related to automation systems and system integrations.
Support data collection, reporting, and analysis activities using automation and manufacturing data platforms.
Participate in change management activities and documentation updates in accordance with GMP requirements.
Assist in the creation and maintenance of technical documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and work instructions.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and IT.
Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on reliability, efficiency, and digital transformation.
Learn and apply industry standards including ISA-88, ISA-95, GAMP 5, and applicable GMP regulations.
Learning Opportunities
The co-op may gain exposure to:
Emerson DeltaV Distributed Control System (DCS)
PAS-X Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Honeywell Building Automation Systems (BAS)
Siemens and Rockwell PLC and SCADA technologies
OSI PI Historian and data analytics platforms
Computerized System Validation (CSV)
Large Molecule Drug Substances Pharmaceutical manufacturing processes
Industrial automation networks and cybersecurity fundamentals
Digital manufacturing and Industry 4.0 initiatives
Qualifications
Education:
Currently pursuing a BS or MS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, or a related technical field.
Preferred fields include Information Management, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Management Information Systems, Computer Science, Software Engineering / Development, Data Science, Cybersecurity.
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher, which is reflective of all college coursework.
Experience and Skills:
Required:
Available to work full-time (40 hrs./week) with reliable transportation to and from site
Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
Excellent organizational and time management skills.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Preferred:
Basic understanding of large molecule drug manufacturing processes is a plus.
S trong problem solving and communication skills.
Demonstrated leadership and/or participation in campus programs and/or community service activities.
Experience working in a cGMP environment is preferred.
Permanently authorized to work in the U.S., must not require sponsorship of an employment visa (e.g., H-1B or green card) at the time of application or in the future. Students currently on CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT usually requires future sponsorship for long term employment and do not meet the requirements for this program unless eligible for an alternative long-term status that does not require company sponsorship.
Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Johnson and Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, please email the Employee Health Support Center (ra-employeehealthsup@its.jnj.com) or contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.
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Required Skills:
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Job details
How this role compares
Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.
We currently track 300 comparable Intern/Fellow/Postdoc Manufacturing & CMC roles across 49 biopharma companies.
Salary context
71 of 300 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.
Where these roles are based
Top locations among the 300 comparable roles
+ 13 more countries
Seniority mix
300 of 300 peers have a known seniority level
Therapeutic area mix
5 of 300 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden
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.
Notify me about similar jobs
Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.
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.
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.