Principal Instrumentation Technician
Lonza · Vacaville, CA
- Level
- Technician
- Team
- Reliability
- Base pay
- $79k–$131k
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
A technician-level reliability role at Lonza (pharma & life sciences) in Vacaville, CA. In addition, this individual will participate in the Maintenance Optimization team as an SME to drive improvements that will enable less equipment downtime, eliminate waste, and develop integrated technological solutions.
- They ask for
- 5+ years
- Tools it names
- Root cause, FDA / GMP
- Base pay
- $79k–$131k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Maintenance Technician roles in California: typical posted base $72k–$110k. This one lists $79k–$131k.
Median of the low and high ends of 7 live postings that list pay, out of 110 maintenance technician openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 111 other live reliability postings in California.
- Base pay
- In line with similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (5+ vs 3+)
Typical $90k–$121k, from 8 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Team leadership 31%
- Tooling 30%
- PLC 30%
- Welding 29%
- EHS / safety 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for FDA / GMP, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Reliability team at Lonza
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
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- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
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- 5
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This plant: Lonza in Vacaville
3 other open roles at this site.
- Manufacturing Engineer II - Front Line Engineering · Manufacturing
- Senior Automation Engineer I · Controls · Senior
- Senior Instrumentation Technician · Reliability · Technician
Full description from LonzaAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What you will do
- ◆Provide advanced hands-on troubleshooting for highly complex instrumentation and mechanical equipment failures, resolving out-of-tolerance conditions to optimize, validate, and restore production uptime.
- ◆Serve as the Instrument Services SME on the Maintenance Optimization team and participate in cross-functional governance teams to advise on equipment design, procurement, commissioning, and qualification.
- ◆Partner with Production, MSAT, and Reliability Engineering to identify and lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on enhancing safety, quality, and cost efficiency across site operations.
- ◆Conduct root cause assessments for process discrepancies and Quality investigations using systems like Track Wise/Veeva; implement corrective actions and initiate necessary maintenance documentation updates.
- ◆Identify and implement equipment and procedural improvements within the Preventive Maintenance program to ensure strict alignment with cGMP standards and regulatory requirements.
- ◆Act as a team lead to coordinate work, exercise independent judgment on critical site tasks, and design and deliver continuing technical education to upskill maintenance staff.
- ◆Perform active in-process and post-completion field audits to enforce quality execution, verify adherence to maintenance procedures, and prevent rework.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Location: Vacaville, California
This is a fully site‑based role. Working together in person supports close, real‑time collaboration and the technical precision needed to manufacture medicines to the highest quality and safety standards.
The Principal Instrumentation Technician will function as a liaison between Instrument Services, MSAT, and Reliability Engineering, troubleshoot highly complex issues, provide oversight and guidance, mentor, and create necessary training to ensure a broad base of knowledge within the Instrument Services group. In addition, this individual will participate in the Maintenance Optimization team as an SME to drive improvements that will enable less equipment downtime, eliminate waste, and develop integrated technological solutions.
What you will get
The full-time base annual salary for this position is expected to range between $78,750 to $131,250. In addition, below you will find a comprehensive summary of the benefits package we offer:
- •Performance-related bonus
- •Medical, dental and vision insurance
- •401(k) matching plan
- •Life insurance, as well as short-term and long-term disability insurance
- •Employee assistance programs
- •Paid Time Off
Shift: Tuesday -Friday 4x10's, Swing shift.
What we look for
- •High School Diploma.
- •5+ years of relevant experience in a GMP environment.
- •5 to 10 years in manufacturing process instrumentation, control systems, or analytical instrumentation preferred.
- •Strong understanding of industrial process instrumentation principles and systems.
- •Ability to lift up to 50 lbs with reasonable accommodations.
- •Valid driver’s license.
About Lonza
At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of.
Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Ready to shape the future of life sciences? Apply now.