Job DescriptionAt Kite, we are united by one mission: curing cancer. Every day, our teams connect their work to this purpose, developing innovative cell therapies that bring hope to patients with serious and life‑threatening cancers. If you are motivated by meaningful, mission‑driven work and want to make a real impact, we invite you to explore a career with Kite.
Kite, a Gilead Company, is a biopharmaceutical organization focused on the development and commercialization of breakthrough cancer immunotherapies. Our therapies harness the power of a patient’s own immune system by engineering T cells to fight cancer. As our manufacturing network and digital capabilities continue to expand, we are building a strong automation organization to support our growth.
We are seeking a Process Automation Engineer III to join our biotechnology manufacturing facility in Frederick, Maryland. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role responsible for supporting and enhancing automation and data platforms that enable compliant, reliable GMP manufacturing operations. You will work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, IT, and global automation teams to ensure our systems are robust, scalable, and inspection‑ready.
What You’ll Do
Primary Platform Ownership
You will serve as the primary technical owner for key automation and manufacturing data platforms, including:
Key responsibilities:
Own the overall health, performance, availability, and compliance of OTDMS and historian platforms
Design and implement integrations between manufacturing systems such as MES (Werum PAS|X), LIMS, historians, and future digital solutions
Manage system configuration, upgrades, patches, and ongoing maintenance within a regulated GMP environment
Define and maintain data ingestion, contextualization, and distribution strategies to enable secure OT‑to‑IT data flow
Author and maintain system documentation, including SOPs, user requirements, functional specifications, and impact assessments
Manage system access and user accounts in alignment with security and compliance requirements
Partner with Quality, Validation, and IT to support system qualification, audits, and regulatory inspections
Additional Automation Systems
You will also provide technical support and integration for additional manufacturing systems, including:
Manufacturing Execution System (Korber, PAS|X)
Real Time Modeling System (Emerson, RTS)
Cytiva Chronicle / Gateway platforms
Identity and access management systems
Infrastructure & Project Support
Support OT network architecture, including VLAN segmentation and manufacturing networks
Implement changes to automation hardware and software as needed
Lead vendor‑managed system modifications, including specifications, testing, and acceptance activities
Support and lead automation-related capital and operational projects
What Success Looks Like
Manufacturing automation systems are reliable, well‑documented, and inspection‑ready
Data flows seamlessly between plant floor systems and enterprise applications
System issues are investigated quickly and resolved with clear root cause and preventive actions
Projects are delivered on time and aligned with business and manufacturing priorities
Stakeholders view you as a trusted automation and data subject matter expert
Basic Qualifications:
One of the following education/experience combinations is required:
Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with at least 3 years of relevant experience, or
Bachelor’s degree with at least 5 years of relevant experience, or
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience supporting automation or manufacturing systems in a GMP-regulated environment
Strong understanding of industrial automation platforms and system integrations
Experience troubleshooting complex system issues in production environments
Familiarity with change control, deviations, and CAPA processes
Proven ability to work effectively in cross‑functional teams
Why Join Kite
Work on life‑saving therapies that directly impact patients
Hands‑on ownership of critical manufacturing and data platforms
Opportunity to influence site and global automation strategy
Collaborative, mission‑driven culture within a leading biotechnology company
Competitive compensation and benefits as part of Gilead’s global organization
The salary range for this position is: $115,260.00 - $149,160.00. Kite considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans*.
For additional benefits information, visit:
https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing
* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.
Kite is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid, long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) engineered cell therapies designed to empower the immune system's ability to recognize and kill tumors. Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA. For more information on Kite, please visit www.kitepharma.com. Sign up to follow @KitePharma on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kitepharma.
For Current Kite Pharma Employees and Contractors:
Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.
