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- Tasks: Lead automation teams to design and develop cutting-edge solutions for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Company: GEA Pharma, a global leader in innovative pharmaceutical equipment.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership development, and opportunities for international collaboration.
- Other info: Join a collaborative team focused on excellence and customer satisfaction.
- Why this job: Shape the future of automation in a dynamic and impactful industry.
- Qualifications: Degree in Automation, 10+ years experience, and strong leadership skills.
GEA Pharma is a global leader in stand-alone equipment and fully integrated production lines for pharmaceutical manufacturing, including dispensing, transporting, granulating, drying, coating, pelletizing, tablet pressing, and inspection. For more than 50 years, GEA Pharma has delivered innovative, flexible, and compliant processing solutions—from R&D-scale systems to full-scale batch production under cGMP conditions.
We are seeking a Director of Automation to lead our electrical, controls, and software engineering teams in the design, development, and commissioning of automation solutions for our pharmaceutical equipment portfolio. This senior leadership role provides strategic, technical, and operational direction for an international team, ensuring excellence in design, compliance, delivery, and customer satisfaction. As a member of the site Senior Leadership Team, you will help shape and deliver initiatives that improve company performance and support GEA’s long-term strategic objectives.
Responsibilities / Tasks
- Strategic & Technical Leadership
- Lead automation software, hardware, and controls engineering teams delivering batch and material-handling execution systems.
- Define and execute long-term automation roadmaps for software and hardware platforms, ensuring alignment with business strategy and emerging technologies.
- Ensure automation designs and engineering practices comply with all relevant industrial and regulatory standards, including GAMP, FDA, CE, ATEX, IECEx, NEC, EN13849, EN62061, and IEC62443-4-1.
- Drive continuous improvement in engineering quality across documentation, software, hardware, and control panels.
- Department Planning, Capacity & Governance
- Create, maintain, and report on departmental resource and capacity plans to ensure delivery against project milestones and business commitments.
- Conduct regular project reviews with stakeholders, providing governance, issue resolution, and performance transparency.
- Support hot-prospect planning and ensure the department is prepared for upcoming opportunities.
- Define, maintain, and enforce departmental procedures to ensure efficient workflows and consistent execution.
- Budget Ownership & Financial Performance
- Manage and report on departmental budgets, project forecasts, and financial performance.
- Ensure projects are delivered efficiently and within financial constraints, controlling departmental non-recoverable costs.
- Drive cost-reduction initiatives internally and in collaboration with project management, supply chain, and other teams.
- Make data-driven decisions that optimize efficiency, quality, and project profitability.
- People Leadership & Capability Development
- Build a strong leadership pipeline and develop future leaders through structured capability-building programs.
- Drive in-house competency development to strengthen internal capability and reduce reliance on external resources.
- Develop and maintain external resource partnerships to supplement departmental capacity when required.
- Manage the departmental skills matrix and lead training programs to ensure the team’s technical and leadership growth.
- Customer & Commercial Engagement
- Maintain a strong customer-centric approach, ensuring timely responses, high satisfaction, and professional engagement.
- Support sales teams with technical input for front-end quotations and proposals.
- Provide expertise to after-sales service teams for upgrades, retrofits, and maintenance support.
- Travel as required to support customer engagements, project execution, team activities, and company initiatives.
Your Profile / Qualifications
- Education: Degree or Master’s in Automation or related field
- 10+ years of experience in automation engineering, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
- Extensive experience in automation within life sciences or similarly regulated industries.
- Strong knowledge of automation standards, regulatory frameworks, and functional safety.
- Proven track record of leading engineering teams and delivering complex automation projects.
- Demonstrated experience in budget ownership, financial reporting, and cost-control initiatives.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and decision-making skills.
- Customer-focused, quality-driven, and committed to delivery excellence.
- Collaborative leader who inspires teams, drives accountability, and navigates complexity effectively.
Did we spark your interest? Then please click apply above to access our guided application process.
Director of Automation in Eastleigh employer: GEA
Contact Detail:
GEA Recruiting Team
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Director of Automation role. Highlight your experience in automation engineering and leadership, focusing on relevant projects that showcase your skills in compliance and customer satisfaction.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for GEA Pharma. Mention specific experiences that align with the job description and show your passion for the pharmaceutical industry.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As this is a senior leadership role, emphasise your experience in leading teams and driving projects. Share examples of how you've developed talent and improved processes in previous roles to demonstrate your capability.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smooth application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensure you don’t miss any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at GEA
✨Know Your Automation Standards
Make sure you brush up on the relevant automation standards and regulatory frameworks mentioned in the job description, like GAMP and FDA. Being able to discuss these confidently will show that you’re not just familiar with the technical side but also understand the compliance aspect crucial for GEA Pharma.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience
Prepare specific examples of how you've led engineering teams in the past. Highlight your experience in delivering complex automation projects and how you’ve driven continuous improvement. This will demonstrate your capability to lead the electrical, controls, and software engineering teams effectively.
✨Discuss Financial Acumen
Since budget ownership is a key part of this role, be ready to talk about your experience managing departmental budgets and financial performance. Share examples of cost-reduction initiatives you've implemented and how you made data-driven decisions to optimise efficiency and project profitability.
✨Emphasise Customer-Centric Approach
GEA Pharma values a strong customer-centric approach, so prepare to discuss how you've maintained high customer satisfaction in previous roles. Think of instances where you supported sales teams or engaged with customers directly, as this will highlight your ability to align with their needs and expectations.