Principal Engineer Automation

About

We are working with an international industrial service provider with a clear vision of being the No. 1 for its customers in increasing efficiency and sustainability in the process industry. The company's comprehensive service portfolio covers the entire value chain from consulting & engineering to prefabrication & installation, access solutions & insulation as well as services to increase plant performance.

The company provides its services in three geographical segments: Western Europe, Central Europe and International, and is therefore mainly active in Europe, North America and the Middle East. Customers from the process industries come in particular from the chemical & petrochemical, energy, oil & gas, and pharmaceutical & biopharma markets. With its approximately 31,000 employees, the Group adheres to the highest safety and quality standards and generated sales of €5.4 billion in the 2025 financial year.

Responsibilities

• Project responsibility: Management of complex, interdisciplinary automation projects from the idea to commissioning – including definition and tracking of work packages in terms of time, budget and quality
• Conception & preparation of offers: Development of technical concepts for demanding project requirements and their transfer into offers and calculations
• Innovative strength: Implementation of innovative automation solutions in the GMP-regulated environment as well as in the semiconductor industry, including computer system validation
• Industry know-how: In-depth process understanding in pharmaceuticals (upstream/downstream), pure/ultrapure media and utilities for the semiconductor industry
• Customer consulting: Support in early project phases such as concept development and preliminary planning
• Leadership & Coaching: Professional coaching of senior and lead engineers as well as promotion of an open, project-oriented team culture
• Standardization: Co-creation and further development of standards, templates and best practices in the field of automation
• Technical expertise:
  • PLC and process control systems (SIEMENS PCS7, TIA, Emerson DeltaV, ABB 800xA)
  • Batch (ISA S88) and Continuous Software Architectures (IDM229482)
  • Virtual commissioning and software testing (PLCSIM, WinMOD, SIMIT)
  • Functional Safety, Risk Analysis, WHG (EN ISO 12100, 61508, 13849), ATEX, Electrical Engineering Basics
  • GMP-compliant software development (GAMP)
• Contract management: Participation in contract drafting and management of subcontractors
• Communication & Negotiation: Expert role in technical challenges and negotiation situations

Qualifications

We are looking forward to a personality with

• A completed technical degree (FH/Uni, Master's/Diploma) or comparable qualification
• Several years of (15+) professional experience as an engineer, including several years in a management position
• In-depth expertise in automation systems, EI&C technology and functional safety
• Strong conceptual skills and expert knowledge – also in an international environment
• Experience in technical leadership and coaching engineering teams
• Strong communication and consulting skills, also in dealing with external customers
• Entrepreneurial thinking, high self-motivation and innovative spirit
• Sound project management skills
• Very good English skills and willingness to travel internationally (30-40%)