Manufacturing Engineer II - Front Line Engineering
Lonza · Vacaville, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $93k–$155k
- Degree
- Required
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at Lonza (pharma & life sciences) in Vacaville, CA. In this role you will ensure production equipment and systems remain fit-for-purpose, compliant, and ready for use across all make, assess, and release (MAR) operations.
- They ask for
- degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, FMEA, FDA / GMP, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Automation, SAP
- Base pay
- $93k–$155k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 26, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $112k–$168k. This one lists $93k–$155k.
Median of the low and high ends of 136 live postings that list pay, out of 363 manufacturing engineer 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 362 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 8% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Not stated
Typical $110k–$159k, from 119 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Tooling 52%
- New product launch 50%
- ✓ Root cause 39%
- ✓ Automation 36%
- CATIA / NX 28%
- Machining 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for FDA / GMP, SAP, 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 Manufacturing 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
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Lonza in Vacaville
2 other open roles at this site.
- 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
- ◆Rapidly triage, troubleshoot, and resolve routine mechanical, electrical, and automation equipment failures independently, collaborating with senior engineering for complex or recurring breakdowns.
- ◆Lead formal root cause analysis investigations for complex operational events using structured methodologies such as 5 Whys, Ishikawa fishbone diagrams, Kepner-Tregoe, and FMEA.
- ◆Monitor equipment performance metrics, analyze operational data, and identify trends to drive reliability, decrease downtime, and improve throughput.
- ◆Formulate and implement equipment upgrades, modifications, and process improvements through formal engineering change control procedures.
- ◆Evaluate the operational and quality impacts of unplanned equipment disruptions against validated process
requirements
and engineering drawings.
- ✓Support capital projects and new technology transfers by developing User
Requirements
Specifications (URS), participating in design reviews, and executing commissioning and qualification (IQ/OQ).
- ✓Provide on-call 24/7 technical support to resolve urgent plant-floor manufacturing and equipment issues as scheduled.
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.
As a Manufacturing Engineer II - Front Line Engineering, you serve as the direct floor-level technical owner and subject matter expert (SME) for the Upstream manufacturing and support systems, including Media Prep and Hold, Clean-in-Place skids, Washers and Autoclaves, Seed Train Operations (Thaw through N-4 stage bioreactors), Large Scale Bioreactors, Process Analytical Technology (PAT), and Harvest / Centrifuge. In this role you will ensure production equipment and systems remain fit-for-purpose, compliant, and ready for use across all make, assess, and release (MAR) operations. Operating with moderate supervision, you bridge engineering, maintenance, and plant operations to maximize uptime, resolve urgent equipment excursions, and maintain strict GMP compliance.
What you will get
The full-time base annual salary for this position is expected to range between $93,000 to $155,000. 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
What we look for
- •Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or related field.
- •Sound knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) as they relate to biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and operations.
- •Strong technical understanding of common biopharmaceutical drug substance manufacturing unit operations; operational experience preferred.
- •Formal root cause analysis training and significant experience leading RCAs.
- •Excellent interpersonal, communication, writing, problem solving and teamwork skills.
- •Proficiency with MS Office, SAP, P&IDs; data trending, analysis, reporting and visualization skills.
- •Proven small to medium project management and execution experience.
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.