Senior Asset Reliability Engineer

About the role

Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) is looking for a Senior Asset Reliability Engineer for its Ballydine site in Ireland. The role is a key technical position responsible for developing, managing and running a reliability programme for all critical assets, finding engineering solutions to repetitive failures, driving predictive maintenance and working with cross-functional teams to protect safety, quality, cost and regulatory compliance. Ballydine is the main drug substance commercialisation hub, scaling new processes to commercial manufacture and supplying clinical and commercial API.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and manage a reliability programme for all critical assets at Ballydine.
• Design engineering solutions to repetitive failures and other issues affecting plant operations, including safety, capacity, quality, cost and regulatory compliance.
• Support production, maintenance management and technical staff technically.
• Lead root cause analysis and incident investigations on manufacturing equipment and systems.
• Run condition-based monitoring programmes such as vibration analysis, thermography and oil analysis, and interpret results.
• Drive the site Mechanical Integrity Programme within the Process Safety Management system.
• Lead Risk-Based Assessment Management (RBAM) assessments, manage the site RBAM programme and carry out equipment criticality and spares assessments.
• Stay up to date with maintenance technology, act as the site contact with the Corporate Asset Reliability CoE and implement corporate programmes locally.
• Build a multi-year reliability roadmap and serve as the subject matter expert for reliability and maintenance best practice.
• Work with Maintenance and Project Engineering on the reliability of new and modified installations, and establish reliability metrics and KPIs.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant engineering or technical discipline.
• Three or more years of experience in a comparable reliability or maintenance engineering role.
• Lean Six Sigma qualification or demonstrated Lean experience is highly advantageous.
• Knowledge of GMP/EHS guidelines and computerised plant maintenance systems (e.g. SAP).
• Experience with API manufacturing plant equipment, systems and utilities is desirable.
• Team player, independent and organised, with strong communication and problem-solving skills.

Required skills

• Reliability methodologies such as RCM, FMECA, RBAM and 8-step problem solving.
• Predictive and condition-monitoring maintenance techniques.
• Familiarity with Change Control, Vendor Limitations and Contractor Capabilities.
• Understanding of Safety, GMP, Environmental and Validation policies and procedures.