Novartis Posted September 6, 2026

DDIT OPS SM Automation Engineer Changping

Changping County (Beijing), China FULL_TIME
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Novartis 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

As an Automation Engineer, will support the implementation, operation, maintenance and continuous improvement of automation and IT/OT systems for product manufacturing operations.The role is primarily a hands-on technical position, working within the site Automation and IT/OT strategy and established technical architecture. You will work closely with site Automation/ITOT leads, Engineering, Production, Quality, global teams and external vendors to execute automation projects and maintain reliable operation of manufacturing systems.A key focus of this role is to support GMP manufacturing and future aseptic manufacturing expansion, including automation control systems, equipment integration, manufacturing applications and supporting IT/OT infrastructure. Responsibilities will include setting up automation systems, executing vertical integration with the new MES GMT4, and implementing the Recipe management project.As the number and complexity of manufacturing systems continue to increase, the role will also support the lifecycle management of platforms such as AGV/AMR, AS/RS, WMS, robotics, MES interfaces, Vertical Integration, EMS/BMS and other shop-floor systems.The role will be expected to understand end-to-end system data flows and assist with troubleshooting across equipment, applications, interfaces, databases and virtualized infrastructure. This includes practical use of SQL, interface monitoring, API and token-based communication, virtual machines and related IT/OT technologies.The role requires strong practical execution and troubleshooting capability, while major architecture decisions, site automation strategy and overall technical governance will be managed in alignment with the Site Automation/ITOT Lead and applicable global standards.

Major accountabilities: • Support the daily operation, maintenance, monitoring and troubleshooting of site Automation and IT/OT software platforms, including AGV, AS/RS, WMS, MES interfaces, Vertical Integration and other manufacturing-related systems.• Support data integration between production equipment, automation systems and higher-level software platforms to ensure accurate, complete and reliable data transfer.• Understand and maintain system interfaces using common industrial and software integration technologies such as OPC UA, MQTT, REST API and Web Services.• Use SQL to query, analyze and troubleshoot system database data in support of production issues, interface failures and data-related investigations.• Apply basic software programming and scripting skills for data processing, interface testing, system diagnostics and development of simple automation tools.• Support configuration and troubleshooting of system authentication and software-to-software communication mechanisms, including APIs, authentication tokens, service accounts and certificates.• Support applications running on Windows Server, virtual machines and virtualized infrastructure, and perform basic troubleshooting using application logs, system logs and service status information.• Analyze and troubleshoot technical issues across equipment, software platforms, interfaces, databases and servers, and work with relevant technical teams or vendors when additional support is required.• Support software system configuration changes, version upgrades, testing, backup and recovery, and lifecycle maintenance activities.• Maintain necessary technical documentation, including system configurations, interface specifications, data flows, database information and troubleshooting records.Key performance indicators: • Stable and reliable operation of assigned Automation and IT/OT software platforms.• Timely troubleshooting and resolution of system, interface, database and application-related issues.• Reliable and accurate data exchange between production equipment, automation systems and higher-level applications.• Successful execution of system maintenance, configuration changes, upgrades, backup and recovery activities.• Timely completion of assigned technical activities in accordance with agreed quality and schedule requirements.• Effective support of manufacturing operations with minimal system-related downtime.• Quality and completeness of technical documentation, system records and troubleshooting information.• Compliance with applicable site IT/OT, security and quality requirements.• Positive feedback from manufacturing and technical stakeholders.• No critical findings attributable to assigned system support and maintenance activities.Work Experience:• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant experience in automation engineering, IT/OT systems, manufacturing software platforms or industrial system integration.• Knowledge of automation technologies and software platforms (e.g. SCADA, DCS, Historian, MES)• Mandatory basic knowledge of PLC-based automation systems, including control architecture, I/O, tags, alarms, industrial communication and basic troubleshooting. Hands-on experience with Siemens, Rockwell or equivalent PLC platforms is preferred.• Knowledge of industry standards and protocols for communication and data exchange in manufacturing operations (e.g. OPC, MQTT).• Working knowledge of relational databases and SQL for data query, analysis and troubleshooting.• Basic programming or scripting capability, such as Python, PowerShell, C# or equivalent.• Basic understanding of Windows Server, virtual machines and system troubleshooting.• Understanding of manufacturing operations and processes.

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Changping County (Beijing), China
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 2556 comparable Manufacturing & CMC roles across 173 biopharma companies.

2556Comparable roles tracked
2343Currently active
173Companies hiring similar roles
56Countries represented

Salary context

663 of 2556 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Associate Director, Digital Scientific Workflows · Merck $0/hr – $0/hr (≈ $0–$0/yr)
Highest disclosed · VP, CMC Development Technical Strategy · ModernaTX, Inc. $272,200/yr – $490,100/yr
Peer group range $0 – $381,150 (median $122,400)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 2556 comparable roles

United States1233
India167
Germany134
France95
Ireland91
Netherlands77

+ 50 more countries

Seniority mix

1172 of 2556 peers have a known seniority level

Senior323
Manager265
Associate154
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc147
Principal88
Director79
Associate Director75
Senior Director34
Executive/VP7

Therapeutic area mix

12 of 2556 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease7
Rare Disease2
Oncology2
Dermatology & Aesthetics1

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.

40%similar
Lilly Shanghai, Shanghai, China
Same function Same country
40%similar
AbbVie Shanghai, Shanghai Manager
Same function Same country
40%similar
Shenzhen Sanofi Biological Products Co., Ltd. Shenzhen, China
Same function Same country
40%similar
sanofi-aventis (Hangzhou) Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd Hangzhou, China
Same function Same country
40%similar
Sanofi-Aventis Pharma Beijing Co Ltd Beijing, China
Same function Same country
40%similar
Sanofi-Aventis Pharma Beijing Co Ltd Beijing, China
Same function Same country

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.

40%
Lab Analytical Automation Scientist
Lilly · Shanghai, Shanghai, China · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
M&S Graduate Program-Operation (Production) Lead -Hangzhou
sanofi-aventis (Hangzhou) Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd · Hangzhou, China · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
M&S - IFB BMU Team Lead Tank farm
Sanofi-Aventis Pharma Beijing Co Ltd · Beijing, China · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
M&S-PPM/Launch Leader-Shanghai
Sanofi-Aventis (China) Investment Co.,Ltd · Shanghai, China · Seniority not listed
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.