Jobs / United States / Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Sr. Automation Engineer Drug Product
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation · 🇺🇸 Durham
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 75 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 31 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation paid sponsored hires in similar roles2 certified filings for “Director - Decision Science, Immunology Product Lead” (Molecular and Cellular Biologists) in NJ: $96k–$138k, median $117k. Most were filed at wage level II (50%) — 2 lottery entries, ≈31% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
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Sponsor Radar — Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
The US Department of Labor certified 75 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 31 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation →
About the role
Job Description Summary The Senior Automation Engineer reports to the AD Process Automation and is responsible for providing automation design team leadership and serving as a technical subject matter expert for a Novartis Aseptic Drug Product facility. Job Description Location: This position will be located in Durham, NC and will be an On-Site role. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible for you. Key Responsibilities: • Ensure automation aspects of new equipment are appropriately designed, meet Novartis standards and are appropriately commissioned and qualified. • Provide oversight for automation aspects of projects including integration of 3rd party equipment to other standard plant systems, e.g., DCS, BMS, Historian, Infrastructure. • Provide design, configuration, installation, and maintenance of automation software and associated hardware for existing equipment and processes. • Prepare scopes of work for large projects, lead small teams and manage automation contractors as required to complete required work within project timelines. • Lead discussions with internal business partners on priorities, timelines and transparent sharing of information. • Develop, review and approve lifecycle documentation, e.g., User Requirements (URS), Functional Specification (FS) and Detail Design Specifications (DDS/HDS/SDS). • Develop and maintain procedures to meet GMP requirements, CFR’s and internal company policies. • Participate and/or lead new product implementation processes to ensure smooth transition from process development into GMP manufacturing. • Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement. • Partner with Quality to ensure a quality and compliant manufacturing environment including participation in regulatory audits as an automation SME. • Solve technical related issues impacting production. • Support 24x7 site-based operations including rotating on-call responsibilities. • Support investigations of non-conformances related to automation systems. • Other related duties as assigned. Essential Requirements: • B.S. degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field. • 8 years work experience in pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical based GMP manufacturing operations, or equivalent work experience (12 years) in pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical based GMP manufacturing operations. • Excellent oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated technical writing skills. • Experience programming, troubleshooting, and maintaining various site automation systems including DCS, BMS, PLC, SCADA, historian, infrastructure, including use of various industrial protocols. • Experience in development and execution of system level qualification testing including providing guidance on qualification plans in conjunction with C&Q department. • Proven experience applying S88 in an automated environment and development of control system standards aligning with S88 methodology. • Experience in field wiring practices and panel design, experience with troubleshooting and start-up of control systems, and experience with instrumentation. • Experience writing and executing complex change controls. • In-depth knowledge of FDA regulations particularly 21 CFR part 11 and GMP systems. • Strong project management skill set with extensive experience in strategic / tactical planning, demonstrated ability to perform long-term project planning. • Ability to prepare contingency plans and logically work through complex issues in a pressure filled atmosphere. • Provide technical support on all manufacturing issues when driving towards issue resolution. • Up to 10% travel may be required. Novartis Compensation and Benefit Summary: