Novartis Posted September 18, 2026

Process Engineer III

Durham, United States FULL_TIME
Notify me about similar jobs

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

Help shape the future of biologics manufacturing at Novartis. As a Process Engineer III, you will support the startup and long-term operation of a new large molecule manufacturing facility in Durham, working across manufacturing systems, equipment lifecycle management, and process optimization. We're looking for an engineer with experience in GMP biologics manufacturing who is excited to make an impact in a growing operation, particularly within upstream processing and large-scale stainless steel biologics manufacturing environments.

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 this location is accessible for you.Key Responsibilities:Support the design, installation, qualification, and startup of a new large molecule manufacturing facility.Provide engineering support for upstream and downstream process equipment within a large-scale stainless steel biologics facility.Maintain process equipment in a validated state through change control and compliance practices.Lead investigations of equipment and process deviations and implement effective CAPAs.Develop and execute equipment reliability and maintenance strategies.Partner with Operations, Quality, Validation, and MS&T to improve manufacturing performance.Establish equipment specifications, including URS, FS, and DDS documentation.Serve as an SME during FDA inspections and internal audits.Support manufacturing systems including bioreactors, filtration, chromatography, and related process equipment.Mentor junior engineers and lead cross-functional initiatives that improve engineering processes.Essential Requirements:Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline.Minimum 5 years of experience in pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical GMP manufacturing operations, or equivalent experience.Experience supporting large molecule, biologics, or biotechnology manufacturing environments.Experience with upstream processing equipment and manufacturing systems.Experience working in stainless steel biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.Strong knowledge of FDA regulations, GMP requirements, and validated manufacturing systems.Excellent technical writing, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems and lead initiatives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.Desirable RequirementsExperience supporting utility systems such as WFI, Clean Steam, and other GMP utilities.Experience with facility startup, equipment qualification, commissioning, or technology transfer activities.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 3753 comparable Manufacturing & CMC roles across 173 biopharma companies.

3753Comparable roles tracked
3372Currently active
173Companies hiring similar roles
64Countries represented

Salary context

920 of 3753 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 · Biologics Support Operator I (3rd Shift) · AbbVie $14/hr – $26/hr (≈ $29,099–$54,122/yr)
Highest disclosed · Head of Analytical Development · ModernaTX, Inc. $272,200/yr – $490,100/yr
Peer group range $41,610 – $381,150 (median $125,375)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 3753 comparable roles

United States1738
Germany251
India166
France146
Ireland137
China123

+ 58 more countries

Seniority mix

1670 of 3753 peers have a known seniority level

Senior431
Manager381
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc259
Associate162
Principal138
Associate Director119
Director115
Senior Director57
Executive/VP8

Therapeutic area mix

24 of 3753 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease15
Rare Disease3
Oncology3
Respiratory1
Dermatology & Aesthetics1
Immunology1

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 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 Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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.

Or follow a whole field: get every new Manufacturing & CMC job in the United States, and choose locations and companies.

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
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Director - BRD Analytical Development
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Analytical R&D Fellowship – Formulation and Solubility Studies (Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellow)
Merck · West Point, Pennsylvania, United States · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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.