Title: Automation Engineer
Location: Our Clients site in Ware, UK
Project Name: Building Decommissioning & Shutdown
Project Scope and Deliverables
Execute automation / control system decommissioning pre-requisites activities required to facilitate the removal of GxP and non-GxP equipment from the building ensuring data integrity, and regulatory compliance.:
o Pharmaceutical manufacturing/production equipment
o Ancillary support equipment which contains control system elements or configurations
o Supporting facilities plant including water plants, cleaning systems, environmental monitoring systems. (note: HVAC and BMS control systems not in scope)
o Automated Material handling system, including automated guided trollies
Site processes and procedures must be complied with (list to be assigned to individual within myLearning system)
Automation engineering support for the project to conduct automation decommissioning activities that are laid out in a thorough Automation checklist document to guide activities and in line with oversight from Automation team and relevant engineering technical authorities:
Identification of Scope
* Identify systems and subsystems with automation or control system elements (e.g., PLCs, HMIs, SCADA nodes, networked instruments) requiring automation activities as part of the decommissioning process.
* Define boundaries and interfaces with other systems remaining operational, including shared control cabinets, networks, or interlocks.
* Identify system dependencies and determine any temporary or permanent modifications required to maintain operational integrity of adjacent systems.
Change Management
* Participate in and provide input to the approved site Change Management process, ensuring that automation tasks are appropriately defined, risk-assessed, and tracked.
* Own and execute assigned automation-related tasks within the change record, ensuring traceability from initiation to closure.
* Verify that all pre-requisites are met prior to initiating automation activities.
* Assess and document the potential impact of automation changes on other systems, data integrity, and validated states.
Control System Software and Configuration Confirmation
* Identify and obtain all required software tools, programming environments, and hardware interfaces necessary to execute decommissioning tasks.
* Perform a comparison of configurable device software and configuration files against the latest approved backups to confirm consistency and integrity.
* Take final verified backups of programmable devices.
* Archive backups in the site's validated configuration management system
* Ensure archives comply with applicable data retention and access requirements per site and GxP data integrity policies.
Control System Software and Hardware Modification
* Where necessary, perform limited software or configuration changes to decouple or disassociate the equipment from wider control or data systems
* Ensure all modifications are made under approved change control and version management processes.
* Document all changes through updated revision control, configuration records, and (where required) updated design documentation.
* Verify that post-modification testing confirms safe and intended system behaviour prior to decommissioning completion.
Automation Documentation and Asset Registers
* Update asset registers, control system inventories, and configuration databases to reflect the decommissioned or retired state of affected automation assets.
* Identify and retire superseded or obsolete automation documentation (e.g., design documentation, wiring diagrams, software revision logs) in compliance with document control procedures.
Operational Technology Infrastructure and Security
* Coordinate with the Site Automation and IT/OT infrastructure teams to plan and execute decommissioning of associated network elements, including:
* Network switches and firewalls
* Server or virtual machine instances
* Domain or directory entries
* Firewall rule sets and VLAN configurations
* Validate the removal or isolation of system network nodes from production environments.
* Manage the archiving and secure destruction of electronic data, credentials, and access tokens in accordance with approved IT/OT security and data retention policies.
Project Key Milestones
Feed into decommissioning strategy to span 2026
Phased decommissioning activities throughout 2026 in alignment with the strategy
Additional Details
The following automation technologies and platforms are in scope (not exhaustive):
o Siemens S7-200, LOGO, S7-300, S7-400, TI505, WinCC (various), PCS7
o Rockwell SL
o Yokogawa DCS
o Eurotherm 6180A Recorders
o iFIX
o Wonderware inTouch
o Bespoke and proprietary control systems
Dedicated OT Programming Laptop to be provided
Software, Hardware, Licenses to facilitate activities to be identified and will be provided by Automation engineering team, or procured by project team