Senior Engineering Manager - Site Lead
Thermo Fisher Scientific · Millersburg, PA
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management manufacturing role at Thermo Fisher Scientific (pharma & life sciences) in Millersburg, PA. In partnership with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, R&D, Continuous Improvement, and Finance, the Senior Manager will lead cross-functional initiatives that improve manufacturing performance, equipment reliability, process capability, quality.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, OEE, DOE, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Automation
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Pennsylvania: typical posted base $86k–$118k.
Median of the low and high ends of 8 live postings that list pay, out of 30 manufacturing engineer openings in Pennsylvania, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Pennsylvania plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 29 other live manufacturing postings in Pennsylvania.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 5+)
Typical $86k–$118k, from 8 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 67%
- Tooling 57%
- Root cause 40%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 40%
- ✓ Automation 40%
- Machining 33%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for OEE, DOE, 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 Thermo Fisher Scientific
We found 4 people at this company and state: 4 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See 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.
Write to Henry → (free) - 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 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: Thermo Fisher Scientific in Millersburg
No other open roles at this site right now · 4 people we found in manufacturing roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Full description from Thermo Fisher ScientificAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
key responsibilities
include seamless execution of new product/process introductions (NPI), technology transfers, manufacturing scale-up, and process validation. The Senior Manager will monitor key manufacturing and engineering performance indicators, including OEE, MTTR, RFT, OTTP, and OTIF, and use performance data to identify opportunities and prioritize engineering resources.
The role will lead site master planning and asset lifecycle management and support process characterization and qualification activities, including DOE, IQ, OQ, PV, and PQ. This individual will be part of the change control board, where they will assess technical risk and business impact and support effective implementation of changes.
The Senior Manager will also manage external vendors and contractors as part of ongoing site service contracts and capital programs and provide engineering support for site-specific customer and regulatory audits.
Beyond functional leadership, the Senior Manager will serve as a strategic business partner and member of the site leadership team, helping shape operational strategy, evaluate business risks, prioritize investments, and ensure engineering capabilities evolve to meet future customer and business needs.
They will build strong partnerships with stakeholders at all organizational levels and effectively communicate technical priorities, risks, recommendations, and business impact. As a change leader, they will help teams adopt new technologies , processes, systems, and ways of working that strengthen manufacturing performance.
Success in this role will be measured not only by operational and engineering performance, but by the organization's ability to transform into a highly automated, agile, reliable, and technically capable manufacturing operation that supports sustainable long-term growth.
Keys to Success
Education
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Chemical, or related discipline).
- ✓Advanced degree is beneficial.
Experience
- ✓10+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience.
- ✓5+ years leading technical teams.
- ✓Experience leading organizational and technical change in complex manufacturing environments.
- ✓Experience within regulated manufacturing environments preferred.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Work Schedule
First Shift (Days)
Environmental Conditions
Office
Job Description
Location/Division Specific Information
This position is based in Millersburg, PA, and will support the Single Use Division (SUD).
Discover Impactful Work
We are seeking a transformational engineering leader who can build the technical capabilities required for our next decade of growth. This individual is equally comfortable leading automation strategy, capital investment, manufacturing engineering, facilities, and maintenance while developing high-performing teams.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record of leading change in complex manufacturing environments, enjoys solving cross-functional business challenges, and is passionate about building the future rather than maintaining the present.
This leader will combine strong technical expertise with people leadership, strategic thinking, and operational execution to advance manufacturing performance, technology, automation, and continuous improvement across the site.
A Day in the Life
This leader will establish and execute a multi-year engineering, automation, and capital investment roadmap, ensuring engineering resources are aligned to the highest business priorities and future growth objectives . They will provide strategic oversight of capital projects from concept through implementation, partnering with site and divisional leadership to deliver projects safely, on schedule, and within budget while maximizing operational return on investment.
In partnership with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, R&D, Continuous Improvement, and Finance, the Senior Manager will lead cross-functional initiatives that improve manufacturing performance, equipment reliability, process capability, quality, capacity, and customer responsiveness. The role is expected to drive a culture of innovation and continuous improvement by integrating automation, digital manufacturing technologies, and data-driven decision making into everyday operations.
The Senior Manager will champion automation and new technology implementation to improve manufacturing efficiency, reliability, quality, capacity, and scalability. They will provide technical and strategic direction for manufacturing processes and engineering systems while leveraging Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Practical Process Improvement (PPI) methodologies to drive sustainable operational improvements.
As the leader of the engineering organization, this individual will build a high-performing technical team by recruiting, developing, and coaching engineering talent while creating a strong succession pipeline for critical technical roles. They will establish clear performance expectations, foster accountability, encourage collaboration across functions, and develop leaders capable of supporting the site's long-term strategic objectives .
The Senior Manager will provide leadership for manufacturing engineering, facilities, maintenance, automation, and engineering systems, ensuring these capabilities evolve with the needs of the business. They will manage multiple engineering programs and priorities while maintaining a strong focus on safety, quality, compliance, execution, and measurable results.
Other
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
- •Experience leading facilities, engineering, and maintenance teams in regulated manufacturing.
- •Capital project leadership experience from business case development through execution.
- •Demonstrated manufacturing automation and digitalization experience.
- •Experience with manufacturing controls systems.
- •Demonstrated ability to develop and execute engineering strategies and roadmaps aligned with business object