Novartis Posted August 21, 2026

Process Engineer III

Durham, United States 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

Make a meaningful impact by ensuring the reliability and compliance of the equipment and systems that support the development and manufacture of innovative therapies. As a Process Engineer III, you will provide engineering support for GMP manufacturing equipment, utilities, facilities, and a broad range of QC laboratory systems. You'll lead equipment lifecycle activities including installation, commissioning and qualification (C&Q), validation, maintenance, and continuous improvement while partnering with cross-functional teams to solve complex technical challenges and support operational excellence.

Location: This position will be located in Durham, NC and will be an onsite role.Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if thisKey Responsibilities:Lead GMP equipment lifecycle activities, including installation, commissioning, qualification (C&Q), validation, and ongoing maintenance.Ensure new equipment is appropriately designed, qualified, and maintained in a compliant and validated state.Manage process equipment changes and support continuous improvement initiatives across site operations.Investigate equipment and process deviations, perform root cause analysis, and implement effective CAPAs.Provide engineering and instrumentation support for a broad range of GMP laboratory equipment and systems across QC operations, including PCR, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioassay laboratories.Serve as a subject matter expert during FDA inspections and internal audits, addressing observations and supporting compliance activities.Develop and implement equipment reliability and maintenance strategies that improve performance and reduce operational risk.Lead or provide SME support for capital projects, technology upgrades, and facility improvement initiatives.Create and maintain engineering documentation, including URS, Functional Specifications (FS), and Detailed Design Specifications (DDS).Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, Validation, and Technical Operations teams to evaluate new technologies and support future site needs.Essential Requirements:Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field with 5+ years of pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical GMP manufacturing experience, or equivalent industry experience.Demonstrated experience supporting GMP equipment and instrumentation in manufacturing, laboratory, facility, or utility environments throughout the equipment lifecycle.Strong knowledge of FDA regulations, GMP requirements, validation principles, and regulated manufacturing environments.Proven ability to investigate deviations, perform root cause analysis, and implement effective CAPAs.Experience leading cross-functional projects and managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.Excellent technical writing, communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.Ability to solve complex technical challenges, exercise sound judgment, and drive effective engineering solutions.Broad technical knowledge of equipment, instrumentation, installation, maintenance, and C&Q activities; experience in a specific QC laboratory discipline is not required.Novartis Compensation and Benefit Summary:The salary for this position is expected to range between $98,700 and $183,300 annuallyThe final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors.Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards.US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves.#LI-Onsite

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Durham, United States
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

662 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 $98,700/yr – $183,300/yr
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 States1232
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
AstraZeneca New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Same function Same country
40%similar
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Senior Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Louisville, Colorado, United States of America Principal
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%
Development Scientist III, Analytical Development and Clinical Quality Control
AstraZeneca · New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Director, Analytical Chemistry - Peptides
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Advisor, Data Scientist - CMC Data Products
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Associate
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Scientist - Molecular Biology, Cell Culture Upstream Process Development
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · 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.