Associate Director of Engineering

An Associate Director of Engineering is required by CareerWise Recruitment for our Galway based client. The Associate Director of Engineering (Equipment, Facilities & Utilities Maintenance) is a senior leadership role responsible for developing and executing maintenance strategies for equipment, facilities, and utility systems, ensuring alignment with organisational goals, regulatory requirements, and industry standards while maintaining high levels of safety, quality, compliance, and efficiency.

THE ROLE:

• Lead, mentor and develop multidisciplinary maintenance, engineering and facilities teams, fostering accountability, engagement and high performance.
• Develop and execute multi-year engineering and capital investment strategies to support capacity, compliance and business growth.
• Drive engineering reliability, asset lifecycle management, preventive maintenance and technical problem-solving across site infrastructure including HVAC, water systems, power distribution and cleanrooms.
• Develop, implement and promote a Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) strategy using FMECA/FMEA assessments, trend analysis and control charts to optimise equipment performance.
• Oversee validation and qualification protocols (IQ, OQ, PQ) for pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment and facilities.
• Ensure full compliance with HPRA, FDA, GMP, cGMP, ISO and other global regulatory standards, supporting inspections and maintaining audit-ready operations.
• Manage annual and multi-year capital budgets, overseeing capital projects and facility upgrades to deliver cost-effective, sustainable solutions.
• Partner closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain and MS&T teams to align on operational needs and drive sustainability initiatives.
• This role offers significant growth potential, positioning the successful candidate for progression to Site Engineering Director in the near term, subject to performance.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Biomedical, Industrial or related field).
• Extensive plant engineering leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with a strong understanding of sterile drug manufacture and cGMP requirements.
• Strong understanding of Annex I, US and EMA GMP regulations, with practical experience in regulatory audits (HPRA, FDA).
• Proven experience in aseptic process and contamination control strategies, including cleaning and disinfection validation.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, design and manage significant capital expansion projects, with experience in equipment qualification, validation and facilities upgrades.
• Strong people leadership skills with a proven track record of building and developing high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.
• PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt or Lean Manufacturing certification preferred.
• Excellent communication, writing and presentation skills with strong problem-solving and critical thinking ability.

Please call Tom Devaney for further information on 091-758771 or email: tdevaney@careerwise.ie

CareerWise Recruitment (In Search of Excellence) Established in 1999, CareerWise Recruitment specialises in recruitment of management and technical professionals for the Pharmaceuticals, Life Sciences, ICT, Engineering, Food and Agri Sectors.

We operate out of multiple locations in Ireland and have offices in Cork, Shannon, Galway, Mayo and Dublin.

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