Job Overview:
The Equipment Engineer reports to the Manager II, Engineering and supports laboratory and production equipment at our Piscataway, NJ facilities. This hands-on role maintains and repairs assigned equipment, improves reliability, and keeps complete records of equipment work.
The engineer performs appropriate preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repairs, and calibration activities internally. OEM and third-party providers are used when specialist tools, qualifications, warranty terms, or capacity require outside service.
Job Responsibilities:
Hands-On Maintenance and Repair:
Perform scheduled preventive maintenance and appropriate calibration activities on assigned laboratory and production equipment, following approved procedures and documenting results.
Diagnose equipment failures, perform hands-on repairs within training and authorization, verify performance, and coordinate return to service with equipment users and Quality as applicable.
Support a range of instruments, which may include liquid handlers, automated systems, HPLC systems, centrifuges, thermal cyclers, analyzers, and general laboratory equipment.
Vendor and Service Management:
Determine when work should be outsourced to an OEM or qualified service provider and define the service needed.
Schedule and coordinate vendor visits for repairs, preventive maintenance, and calibration; prepare equipment and access, oversee work on site, and communicate timing to users.
Review vendor service reports and calibration certificates, confirm the work is complete, and follow up on unresolved issues before closing the work order.
Asset and Work Order Management:
Create and maintain CMMS work orders for failures, repairs, preventive maintenance, and calibration. Record symptoms, troubleshooting, work performed, parts used, results, attachments, and equipment status.
Maintain accurate asset histories, maintenance schedules, calibration due dates, and equipment inventory records; identify critical spares and support inventory planning.
Develop and improve clear technical procedures and maintenance instructions for assigned equipment.
Reliability, Quality, and Compliance:
Review work order history for repeat failures, downtime, and recurring costs; investigate causes and recommend improvements to maintenance plans, spares, or vendor support.
Perform and document equipment work in accordance with applicable site procedures and Quality requirements.
Support equipment-related deviations, root cause investigations, and corrective actions in collaboration with Quality and equipment users.
Communication and Collaboration:
Communicate equipment status, risks, and expected recovery times to laboratory and production users, management, and the Equipment team.
Coordinate work with users to minimize disruption and share troubleshooting knowledge with other team members
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical or scientific field, or equivalent relevant technical experience.
- Three or more years of relevant equipment engineering, maintenance, field service, or calibration experience is preferred.
- Hands-on experience maintaining and repairing laboratory equipment is preferred; experience with laboratory equipment troubleshooting and calibration is also preferred.
- Ability to use a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) or similar work order system to document work and track scheduled maintenance.
- Experience coordinating OEM or third-party service providers and reviewing completed service work is preferred.
- Familiarity with applicable GMP, ISO, or other regulated quality practices is helpful; ability to follow site procedures and maintain accurate records is required.
- Strong problem-solving, organization, and communication skills, with the ability to prioritize equipment needs and work effectively with laboratory, production, and Quality teams.
- #GS
